EFCC withdraws cybercrime charges against BUK student

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withdrawn the charges against a final-year student of Bayero University, Kano, Maryam Shehu, and another Nigerian, Abubakar Abdulhamad, who were arraigned for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the commission.

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The two defendants were arraigned separately before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

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The commission had accused Shehu of publishing a social media post on June 21 alleging that EFCC officials assaulted one Ahmed Uthman on the instruction of a zonal director who allegedly collected N20m from one Usman Abbas.

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The EFCC said the publication was intended to tarnish its reputation and constituted an offence under Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.

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Abdulhamad was also charged under the same provision over a separate allegation.

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Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

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However, the EFCC in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the Executive Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, directed the withdrawal of the charges following appeals for leniency and an apology from Shehu’s father, as well as pleas from well-meaning Nigerians

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Oyewale said although the commission considered the alleged cyberstalking to be contrary to the Cybercrimes Act, the chairman was moved by the appeals and apologies presented on behalf of the defendants.

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The statement read, “ The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede has compassionately ordered the withdrawal of charges preferred against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad, who were, on Thurday August 21, 2026 arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja , for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the Commission.

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“While the Commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the Executive Chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency.

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“To this end, he has directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform.

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“The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation”.

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