The Media Aide to Senator Muhammad Goje, Muhammad Yayari, has been remanded in police custody by a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Pantami, Gombe State.
The 27 years old Yayari was remanded for posting the alleged fabrication of false data against ward Executives of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Yamaltu/Deba LGA, on his Facebook page.
He was arrested and detained on Monday following a petition against him by the State Secretary of the APC, Abubakar Goro over a post on his personal page that stated that over 80% of ward executives in Yalmatu Deba Local Government Area had resigned their positions due to the recent incident involving a former Governor, now senator representing Gombe Central, Goje.
The State Counsel, Ramatu Hassan, who read the police FIR, said the accused intended to harm the reputation of the ward executives with the said post, in which he alleged that 80 percent of them have “abdicated” their position.
She told the court that Yayari has committed offenses of injurious falsehood and inciting disturbance which contradicted Sections 393 and 114 of the Penal Code Law. Both sections state that any words either spoken or reproduced by false statement of fact intending to cause disturbance to the public or cause harm to the reputation of a person/government/local government council in the state shall be punishable with an imprisonment term of up to two years or with fine or both.
The accused Yayari pleaded not guilty to injurious falsehood, inciting disturbance, and cyberstalking, before Chief Magistrate Mohammed Kumo on Monday.
He would be remanded till the 6th of December 2021. This is because the Chief Magistrate Judge stated that both counsels pleas have given him cause for worry.
He said; “Counsels are too passionate about granting bail and otherwise, so much so that I will adjourn this matter to Monday the 6th day of December for ruling.”
The prosecuting counsel, Barr. Ramatu Hassan, had appealed to the Chief Magistrate to deny the accused bail.
She cited that it was to protect the accused following the political tension in the community. The defense counsels however, Barristers Sa’idu Mu’azu Kumo and A. B. El-Ibrani applied for his bail, citing that Yayari may miss his National Service.
“As constitutionally provided we applied for the bail but the court has adjourned it till Monday for ruling. The defendant is entitled to bail, we hope the judge will look at it an exercise his discretion on it,” the Counsels added.