A Chief Magistrate Court in Sokoto has barred journalists from covering the case of Shafi’u Umar Tureta, the special assistant on media to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Tureta faces accusations of disseminating media content against the current Governor, Ahmad Aliyu’s wife.
SaharaReporters learnt that on Monday, Tureta was arraigned at Magistrate Court “1”, journalists from national and international media were barred from the courtroom, reportedly on the orders of Chief Magistrate Fati Hassan.
Tureta, detained by police on August 25, 2024, is charged with spreading false and defamatory media content, according to a First Information Report (FIR) read by Prosecutor Insp. Abdurahman Mansur.
The FIR states that the offences occurred on July 18, 2024, involving videos of the Governor’s wife and allegations about the Governor’s academic performance.
Defence Counsel Mr. Al’Mustafa Abubakar confirmed that Tureta denied the charges and applied for bail. The Chief Magistrate adjourned the bail ruling to September 6, 2024, and remanded Tureta in a correctional centre.