By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has been urged to as a matter of urgency, invite the Bauchi State gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for questioning and possible prosecution.
The call was made by Gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), in Bauchi State, Sen Shehu Buba Umar, in a petition he forwarded to the IGP, against the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), also of Bauchi State, Barr Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, over alleged cyberstalking, criminal defamation, incitement and disturbance of public peace and sundry offences.
The petition dated 22nd July, 2026, was signed by Barr Jibrin S. Jibrin Esq. (Notary Public), leading others including M.R. Musa Esq.
M. M. Usman Esq. H.B. Pali Esq.
Abbas Ibrahim Esq. I.G Agwam Esq. Salome Audu Esq. R.I. Attah Esq. Samuel Musa Esq and I.M Muhammad Esq.
The petition reads, “We write with esteemed compliments to refer to the subject of this complaint pursuant to the retention of our services of legal representation by Distinguished Senator Shehu Buba Umar the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District of Bauchi State in the 10th Senate who is also the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples’s Redemption Party (PRP) in Bauchi State (herein referred to as ‘our client’) to upon his instructions and authority we proceed in this regard by drawing your attention to the serious criminal issues against the suspect in this complaint in the hope that you would cause same to be thoroughly investigated for necessary follow-up action.”
It further contains,”As a matter of our client’s briefing to us regarding this matter, the basis of his complaint against the suspect Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN otherwise known and addressed as M.A. Abubakar, the APC Governorship Flagbearer in Bauchi who is residing at Gwarimpa in the Federal Capital Territory or Fadaman Mada Area of Bauchi City in Bauchi State borders on seriously defamatory and injurious statements he made against our Client which has since gone viral across several social media platforms.”
According to the Lawyers,”The said defamatory and injurious statements against our client is also attracting wide publicity and repeated circulation across these mediums apparently due to the political undertones it carries and the personality of our client not only as a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but also as a frontline governorship candidate contesting for the office of the Governor of Bauchi State in 2027 under the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). ”
“Now in the course of a recent political meeting he hosted, the suspect made several seriously damaging, defamatory, injurious, libelous, and inflammatory remarks concerning our client including the statement that our client’s source of wealth with which he has being doing “so many things is questionable” among other criminally offensive publications,” they added.
According to Lawyers,”In effect, M. A. Abubakar further said as a matter of a passable translation of his statements in issue in Hausa thus: “based on what we know of our society, it will not be possible for Shehu to be doing all these things he is doing. He would have been ostracized since as he has to prove the source of his wealth. As the wealth he is displaying did not fall from heaven, he has to explain how he came about it.……”
They stressed,”So, for you to come over here, it is a matter of great effort on your part a sort of Jihad for yourselves, as instead of one to be surviving using money whose source he dosen’t know for it may be blood money. Of course. It is better for such a person to shift camp and come over to our side. For us, we are grateful to Allah as everything we possess in terms of wealth comes from our sweat. Everybody knows how we ran the government, what we have even before getting into government……”
They stated, “Given this development, these publications made by the suspect have greatly impugn the character, high moral standing, public respect and other worthy qualities of our client. Meanwhile, it is apparent that all these the suspect committed are aimed at tarnishing the image of our client, lower his esteem and subject him to public ridicule, opprobrium and in the end negatively affect political ambition by causing him to lose many supporters and public goodwill. So, it is all politics. A very dirty one for that matter. ”
According to them,”One plausible proof for saying so is why did it take the suspect, a very Senior Lawyer, former Governor and an ex-ally of our client with whom they pursued the former’s governorship dream to success in 2015 together until now when our client (Senator Shehu Buba’s) standing, rating and deepening consensus among the average Bauchite as the candidate to beat in the Bauchi 2027 is becoming more glaring before going public with his baseless and defamatory allegations?”
“Sir, your thorough investigation as well as professional handling of the matter should bring out the answer to this quite pertinent poser,” the petition further contained.
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They stated, “Flowing from this, it is the candid and honest belief of our client and of course every responsible person that came across the publications/statements by M.A. Abubakar, SAN in reference, that same was calculated and intended to score cheap political points.”
According to the legal team,
“Given that our client has since submitted a similar complaint against the Governor of Bauchi State, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, action in respect of which is being delayed due to the immunity he currently enjoins, in addition to the other suspects being prosecuted for committing these kind of offences against the state and of course our client virtually for political reasons.”
They added, “it is our humble point and indeed demand that the instant matter must also be brought to the front burner of action by your highly regarded office thereby setting the law in motion against the suspect who ordinarily should know better and should have been an example of playing clean, responsible and facts-based politics. ”
They declared,”On this premise, we wish to categorically state that the said allegations are entirely false, malicious, unfounded and mischief-intended. As earlier pointed out, however, it is quite worrying the fact that the suspect’s defamatory publications/statements in reference is continuously being circulated on Facebook, a Computer System/Electronic Communication Network, several online and social media platforms and has been viewed, shared and commented upon by a large number of persons within and outside Bauchi State.”
According to them, “The resultant consequence of this unfortunate development is that same is causing great embarrassment, odium, and injury to our client’s reputation, both personally, as a family man, community leader, a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in the context of the political undertones at play, a frontline governorship candidate in Bauchi State.”
According to them,”It is therefore no gainsaying that the suspect’s conduct is a deliberate, calculated and malicious act of cyberstalking and cyber-defamation, designed to create false impressions against our client, and to portray him in bad light before the public more so as the 2027 general election where he is participating as a leading Governorship hopeful in Bauchi State is drawing closer.”
They stressed,”Indeed, the suspect’s conduct, in legal parlance, constitutes an offence under Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (As Amended), which criminalizes the use of a computer system or network to knowingly or intentionally transmit or cause the transmission of any communication which the sender knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, danger, insult, injury, hatred, ill will, or needless anxiety to another, or which the sender knows to be false for the purpose of causing enmity, hatred or ill-will between persons.”
They said that the conduct of the suspect also amounts to defamation and injurious falsehood contrary to the relevant provisions of the Penal Code applicable in Bauchi State as well as the FCT and is capable of breaching the peace and inciting public disaffection among supporters of their political parties and the larger public.
In view of the serious nature of the issues on the ground particularly now that many users have made social media a ground for inciting public outrage and disaffection, the legal team stated that they are obliged to request the IGP invite the suspect, M.A. Abubakar, SAN for questioning in connection with the allegations and Cause full investigation to be made into the matter, including the retrieval and preservation of the said Facebook video/broadcast as evidence; and take all necessary steps to ensure that the suspect is made to face the full weight of the law, and that appropriate charges are preferred against him before a Court of competent jurisdiction.
They added, “In support of this complaint, we attached herewith a copy of the burnt CD, screenshot of the publication in support of this complaint marked as Appendix “A”, and we shall be glad to render any further assistance and co-operation which your office may require in the course of investigation.”
They concluded, “We thank you in anticipation of your usual prompt and diligent attention to this complaint even we serve this NOTICE that failure, refusal and neglect on your part to do needful within seven (7) days from the date of receipt of this complaint will leave us with the only option of instituting the appropriate action against you before a competent Court of law for the necessary judicial intervention thereby bringing to the fore the import of the famous legal principle of “Fiat Justitia ruat Caelum”.
Barr MA Abubakar, SAN
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