The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of a man, Ishaq Muhammed, in Kuje Correctional Centre over his failure to attend his trial for allegedly cyberbullying Sen. Shehu Umar.

Justice ​‌‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠⁠‍‌⁠​‍‌⁠‌‌‌​Rita Offili-Ajumogobia gave the order after counsel for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), David Kaswe, made the application to the effect.

The judge held that Muhammed shall remain in custody pending the hearing and determination of his motion seeking to set aside the bench warrant issued against him.

Justice Offili-Ajumogobia, who made the order, adjourned the matter until Nov. 24 for hearing of the prosecution’s application for bail revocation of another defendant, Ahmed Abdulrahman, an Abuja-based lawyer.

The AGF, in a charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/526/2025, is prosecuting Muhammed, Abdulrahman and three others on allegations bordering on defamation, cybercrime, among others, against Sen. Umar.

Umar is the current serving senator for Bauchi South Senatorial District and 2027 governorship candidate for Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the state.

While Abdulrahman is named as 1st defendant, Daure David, Ishaq Muhammed, Abdulrashid Musa and Nasir Abubakar are listed as 2nd to 5th defendants respectively.

Justice Offili-Ajumogobia had, on Sept. 29, issued a bench warrant for Muhammed’s arrest following his absence in court for his trial.

The development followed an oral application by the AGF’s lawyer, David Kaswe.

Although when the case was called on Tuesday, Muhammed was in court, Abdulrahman was conspicuously absent.

Kaswe, an assistant director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for hearing.

He, however, said that the prosecution was served with a letter in the morning, informing the court of the absence of the 1st defendant (Abdulrahman) in court.

He said another letter was served in his office, informing the prosecution that the 2nd defendant (Daure David) was involved in an accident and was indisposed.

“My lord, I want to point out some things I noticed in the letters before taking my seat,” kaswe said.

The lawyer said David (2nd defendant)’s letter showed that he was receiving a medical attention in a hospital.

He, however, raised an objection on the ground that the medical report emanated from a private hospital contrary to the provisions of the law that prescribed that such medical report should come from a government hospital to be admissible.

Kaswe said though Abdulrahman’s letter came from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hopsital, he prayed the court to revoke his bail.

He argued that the letter, which was only sent on Tuesday, was an afterthought.

“It is an afterthought in the sense that he is fully aware of today’s case and the intention of the prosecution to apply for his bail revocation.

“Therefore, his application for adjournment is prompted by our application for his revocation of his bail.

“My lord will observe that the 1st defendant’s medical report carries November 3rd, 2026 date,” he said.

Besides, he stated that Abdulrahman had continued to commit the same offence he was being charged.

He, therefore, urged the court to discountenance with the letter.

The prosecuting counsel, thereafter, reminded the court of the Sept. 29 bench warrant against Muhammed, the 3rd defendant, in the case who was in court.

He prayed the court to order Muhammed’s remand in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his motion to vacate the order which was filed by his lawyer, R. A. Bamigboye.

Kaswe equally recalled that he had on Sept. 29 made an application for the revocation of bail granted to Abdulrahman.

He argued that the 1st defendant, who is a lawyer, had violated the conditions of the bail he was granted.

He said Abdulrahman had continued to commit the same offence with which he was standing trial before the court by posting defamatory messages and videos against Senator Umar in disobedience to the court order.

Responding, V. Damgdem, who appeared for Abdulrahman, informed the court that his client’s situation was a medical emergence at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital.

According to Damgdem, we are open to investigation.

The lawyer said though they were served with the motion for revocation of Abdulrahman’s bail, he argued that they were still within time to respond to the weight of the allegations.

Vincent Owhor, who represented David (the 2nd defendant) in court, explained that on October 15, his client got involved in an accident in Bauchi State.

Owhor, who argued that the court had the discretion to admit the medical report in evidence irrespective of whether it emanated from a private or public hospital, cited Section 41(1) of Evidence Act, 2011, to back his argument.

He said as far as the medical report emanated from a qualified medical personnel, the court could be bound by its content.

He explained further that David was taken to a private hospital at the time of the accident and that he had always attended court proceedings before now.

“Therefore, it is not a gimmick. We urge my Lord to admit the medical report in evidence,” he said.

Muhammed’s lawyer, Bamigboye, submitted that although the court issued a bench warrant against the 3rd defendant to ensure his attendance in court, he said his client was already in court.

Besides, Bamigboye said Muhammed was in court last week, though the court did not sit.

“We filed a motion seeking to set aside the order and the last adjourned date, he was in court though he came late,” he said.

The lawyer urged the court to discountenance with the prosecution’s application to remand his client in a correctional centre pending the hearing and determination of their motion.

“We ask that the execution of the bench warrant should be suspended pending the hearing and determination of the motion,” he said.

A. A. Badmos, who appeared for the 4th defendant, and Hamza Dantani, who represented the 5th defendant, did not oppose the application by Abdulrahman for an adjournment.

All efforts by Dantani to intervene in the prosecution’s application to remand Muhammed were unsuccessful.

The judge, who granted Kaswe’s application for Muhammed’s remand, adjourned the case until Nov. 24 for hearing of the application for revocation of Abdulrahman’s bail, hearing of motion to vacate Muhammed’s bench warrant and for trial.

Abdulrahman and his co-defendants were initially being prosecuted by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police.

The I-G, in the 11-count charge, filed by Anthony Egwu on Oct. 6, 2025, accused the defendants of alleged cybercrime, defamation, advance fee fraud, among others.

They were, on Oct. 30, 2025, arraigned before the judge.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts and they were remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre before they were admitted to bail.

In count one, the defendants were alleged to have, sometime in 2025, conspired among themselves “to commit an offence, to wit; cyberstalking against Senator Shehu Buba Umar.”

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 27(1)(b) and punishable under Section 21(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act 2015 (as amended) 2024.

In count three, Abdulrahman was alleged to have, sometime in 2025, intentionally sent a video via his Tiktok handle with user name “Kibanna Channel” and his Youtube channel , defamed the senator by linking him to sponsoring banditry with a view to tarnishing his image as a serving Senator.

The suspect was alleged to have stated that “Sen. Buba, is a sponsor of banditry and called for his investigation, a statement you made by means of computer systems and network knowing same to be false, for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order and causing the Senator fear of death”.

The offence Is also said to be contrary to Section 24(1)(5) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 (as amended) 2024, among other counts, among others.

However, the AGF, in December 2025, took over the case.