Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of a social media influencer in the custody of the Department of State Services following his arraignment on charges of circulating false information about the feeding conditions of Nigerian military personnel.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Monday, May 4, 2026, effectively sends Chidiebere Justice Mark, known online as “Justice Crack,” back to the detention facility of the secret police, where he has been held since his arrest by the Nigerian Army days earlier.
The court’s decision came after the defendant pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge filed by the DSS, which accuses him of cybercrime, breach of public peace, and attempting to commit a felony. The presiding judge declined to entertain an oral bail application moved by the defense counsel, insisting that a formal written application must be filed. She then ordered that the blogger remain in DSS custody until May 25, 2026, when trial is scheduled to commence and the bail application will be heard.
The remand order has intensified an already volatile situation outside the court, where hundreds of young protesters had gathered to demand the activist’s immediate release. Shortly after the ruling, security operatives faced a physical blockade from the crowd, which refused to allow them to drive the defendant away. Chants of “Free Justice Crack” echoed through the streets as protesters formed a human chain around the DSS vehicle.
The operatives eventually forced their way through after a tense standoff, taking the blogger to an undisclosed detention facility. The remand means the activist will spend at least three more weeks in the custody of the state security service, pending the formal bail hearing. His legal team has indicated that they will file the necessary application immediately.
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