Fake Videos: Court Remands Mahdi In Prison

A chief magistrate court sitting in Kaduna on Tuesday ordered the remand in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kaduna, of self-styled activist and public commentator, Shehu Mahdi.

Mahdi was arrested a few days ago by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) after he rebuffed pleas to pull down inciting videos he posted online claiming that President Bola Tinubu granted France the approval to set up a military base in northern Nigeria.

Mahdi’s narrative came on the heels of a related claim by the military leader of Niger Republic, Abdourahamane Tchiani, that France set up a military base in northern Nigeria. Shehu Mahdi blamed President Bola Tinubu for endorsing the deal in a viral tweet.

The National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as well as the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, swiftly punctured the narrative of the Nigerien military leader as false.

On Tuesday, the DSS arraigned Mahdi before Magistrate Abubakar Lamido on two-count charge of conspiracy, aiding and abetting terrorism, which the agency said is contrary to Section 26 (2)(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Inciting Public Disturbances Contrary to Section 78 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017.

In his ruling, Magistrate Lamido held that Mahdi remain in a correctional facility in Kaduna until January 14, 2025, for further hearing on the matter.

The video clips posted by Mahdi have since been fact-checked by several media organizations, including Daily Trust and The Cable, and found to be 2013 video footages of Nigerian soldiers at Bamako Airportthei, Mali, uring their deployment for an African Union Peace Keeping Mission in Northern Mali.