UPDATED: Court adjourns Sultan’s cybercrime case, grants conditional bail
By: Zagazola Makama
A Magistrate Court sitting in Rigasa, Kaduna, on Monday adjourned the trial of a Kaduna-based social media activist, Abubakar Muhammad, popularly known as Sultan, to Oct. 6.
Muhammad, who was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on allegations of cybercrime, extortion and criminal intimidation, was arraigned before the court where he declined to plead guilty to the charges.
The court granted him conditional bail with stringent terms, including the presentation of two civil servants on Grade Level 16 as sureties, each required to show a minimum account balance of ₦1 million.
Legal representatives of the defendant confirmed that steps were being taken to meet the bail conditions before the resumption of proceedings.
They also alleged that security operatives covertly moved Sultan to court without prior notice to his lawyers in a bid to compel a guilty plea, which he refused.
The legal team further noted that while they sympathised with the complainant in the case, the rights of the defendant must be protected through due process and fair hearing.
The case has now been adjourned to Oct. 6 for continuation of hearing.
