Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has opened its trial against social media influencer Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as “Justice Crack”, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, calling its first witness in a case that has drawn significant public attention to the limits of online speech and the reach of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws. The proceedings resumed on Monday, May 25, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, following the defendant’s re‑arraignment on an amended three‑count charge. Chidiebere, who was initially arrested by the Nigerian Army and later handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS), pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The Federal Government’s case is being prosecuted by the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which took over the matter from the DSS on May 14, 2026. At the commencement of the trial, the prosecution called its first witness, Oronto Douglas, a DSS operative who participated in the investigation. Led in evidence by the prosecution, Douglas told the court that the defendant was transferred to the DSS by the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps for investigation into allegations of cybercrime and related offences. He testified that during the investigation, audio and video recordings of an interview with the defendant were extracted and stored in a flash drive, and that he signed a certificate of compliance in respect of the electronic evidence now tendered before the court.
The defence counsel urged the court to allow Chidiebere to continue enjoying the bail conditions earlier granted to him on May 18, 2026, when the court admitted him to bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum. The prosecution did not oppose the application, and Justice Abdulmalik ordered that the existing bail conditions remain in force. The judge thereafter adjourned the matter until September 28, 2026, for continuation of the hearing. She also noted that the prosecution counsel, who had earlier applied to the Deputy Chief Registrar, would make a further application to the head of the court’s Information Technology Department for the viewing of forensic evidence in the case.
Chidiebere’s legal troubles began when the Nigerian Army alleged that he had used his social media platform to amplify soldiers’ complaints about poor feeding and welfare conditions, thereby inciting public discontent and undermining military discipline. The DSS subsequently arraigned him on May 4, 2026, on a three‑count charge bordering on cybercrime. His arrest and detention triggered widespread criticism from civil society groups and free speech advocates, who accused the government of suppressing dissent and using security agencies to silence critics. The court’s decision to grant bail, coupled with the DPP’s takeover of the case, was seen as a move to ensure due process and a fair trial. As the case now moves toward a full hearing, the outcome is expected to set a significant precedent for how Nigerian courts balance national security concerns with constitutionally protected freedoms of expression and the press.
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