DSS Arraigns Man Over Fake Tinubu Letter to US President

The Department of State Services (DSS) has taken legal action against Mubarak Abdullahi, popularly known as Sardaunan Samari, over the alleged circulation of a fabricated letter purportedly written by President Bola Tinubu and addressed to the President of the United States.

The development was disclosed by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, in a statement shared on social media on Monday.

According to Onanuga, Abdullahi was arrested on September 28 after allegedly sharing the document on his Facebook page with the caption, “ATIKU IS COMING.”

The presidential aide described Abdullahi as a supporter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and said the suspect admitted to investigators that he had shared the document. He reportedly apologised for his actions, but the authorities proceeded with the case.

Abdullahi appeared before Chief Magistrate Court No. 10 in Kabala Doki, Kaduna State, which ordered that he be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kaduna.

The DSS has also filed a three-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime and defamation against him at the Federal High Court in Kaduna. However, a date for his formal arraignment before the Federal High Court had not been fixed as of the latest report.

The case has drawn attention to the circulation of purported official documents on social media and the potential legal consequences of sharing material alleged to be fabricated or misleading.

Onanuga said the development demonstrated the DSS’s ability to trace individuals suspected of spreading misleading information online.

However, the allegations against Abdullahi remain subject to judicial determination. His reported admission to sharing the document does not, by itself, establish guilt on the charges filed against him.

The case also comes amid wider public debate over the handling of online speech, misinformation and the use of criminal laws in addressing social media publications.

Further proceedings are expected to clarify the specific allegations and evidence the prosecution intends to present before the Federal High Court.