DSS Arraigns Atiku Supporter Over Fake Tinubu Letter to US President

Mubarak Abdullahi, a known backer of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has been prosecuted by the Department of State Services. Also referred to as Sardaunan Samari, he is accused of circulating a counterfeit letter bearing President Bola Tinubu's name and directed toward the United States President.

On September 28, he was apprehended following his publication of the document to Facebook with the text 'ATIKU IS COMING.' Facing him in a Kaduna courtroom are three separate counts related to defamation and cybercrime. During interrogation, Abdullahi owned up to sharing the fake document and expressed regret about his actions.

A Kaduna tribunal then issued an order for his detention at the Nigerian Correctional Centre while legal proceedings unfold. Bayo Onanuga, serving as the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, made the case known to the public.

Critical responses have come from opposition quarters regarding the charges and arrest. Omoyele Sowore, who stood as African Action Congress presidential candidate, used this situation to challenge the Tinubu government.

He contended that the administration was deploying the DSS as a tool for crushing political dissidents. Sowore condemned what he saw as the agency's misuse of its mandate, though he mounted no dispute against facts pertaining to Abdullahi's own behavior.

This case illustrates deeper tensions among opposition groups and state bodies concerning the extent of security agency authority. Records corroborate both the September 28 date of arrest and the charges leveled against Abdullahi.

Some variation exists, however, in reporting which court initially processed the matter. Proceedings at Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna receive mention, as do separate references to the Federal High Court facility located there.