Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, August 20, 2026, arraigned Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of cybercrime and publishing false information intended to damage the reputation of the anti-graft agency. The Commission, despite facing sharp criticism from human rights activist and AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, proceeded with the arraignment and subsequently posted the details of the proceedings on its official X handle. Shehu, a final-year student of Bayero University Kano, faces an amended one-count charge bordering on cybercrime and wilful character assassination of the EFCC via her Instagram handle. Abdulhamad was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrime and criminal fabrication of the identity of the EFCC. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The charge against Shehu stems from a post she allegedly made on June 21, 2026, through her Instagram account, @maryamshehu, in which she claimed that EFCC officials assaulted one Ahmed Uthman under the instruction of a Zonal Director who allegedly collected N20 million from one Usman Iya Abbas. The EFCC alleged that the publication was intentionally made to tarnish the reputation of the Commission, an offence contrary to Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, and punishable under Section 24(2)(c)(ii) of the same Act. Abdulhamad, on his part, was accused of publishing a fabricated image on his X account, @shuraimi, sometime in May 2026, designed to resemble an official EFCC arrest placard. The image depicted one Sadeeq Kabeer as a suspect arrested by the EFCC with the inscription "His only crime was selling laptops at affordable price to student". The prosecution alleged that the publication was also intended to tarnish the reputation of the Commission.
Following the defendants' not-guilty pleas, prosecution counsel Elizabeth Alabi requested a trial date and asked the court to remand Shehu in the Suleja Correctional Centre, Niger State. Counsel to Shehu, C.O. Amalaha, informed the court of her bail application and prayed the court to admit her client to bail on liberal terms. Counsel to Abdulhamad, Adamu K. Adamu, also informed the court of his bail application and prayed that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody. Justice Abdulmalik ordered that Shehu be remanded in the Suleja Correctional Centre and Abdulhamad at Kuje Correctional Centre, adjourning the matter till August 31, 2026, for hearing of their bail applications and commencement of trial.
The EFCC, in a post on its official X handle on Thursday, August 20, 2026, confirmed the arraignment, stating that it was underscored by the need to bring alleged blackmailers, fabricators and wilful image-tarnishers of the Commission to justice. However, this justification has drawn sharp criticism from human rights activists and civil society organisations, who argue that the Commission is overreaching its mandate and using the Cybercrimes Act to suppress dissent and criminalise criticism. Omoyele Sowore, who witnessed the arraignment, condemned the EFCC's actions, describing the Commission under Chairman Ola Olukoyede as "inherently evil". Sowore questioned the circumstances surrounding Shehu's detention, asking on his X handle, "What kind of institution detains a university student for nearly a month, arraigns her for allegedly cyberbullying the agency, and then seeks to keep her behind bars while her final examinations are about to begin?".
Sowore's criticism highlights a growing concern among Nigerians about the EFCC's operational priorities. Shehu is a final-year student of Bayero University Kano who was reportedly due to begin her final examinations on Saturday, August 22, 2026, just two days after her arraignment. Both defendants had already spent close to 30 days in EFCC detention before they were brought before the court. The decision to detain a student for nearly a month, arraign her just days before her final exams, and then seek to keep her behind bars raises legitimate concerns about the EFCC's understanding of justice and proportionality. The EFCC, established to combat economic and financial crimes, appears to be increasingly deploying its resources to pursue citizens for criticism and social media posts rather than focusing on its core mandate of fighting corruption.
The Cybercrimes Act, under which the defendants were charged, was designed to address serious cyber threats, not to criminalise citizens who make allegations against public institutions, regardless of whether those allegations are true or false. The Act's Section 24(2)(c) criminalises the intentional transmission of messages that are "false" and intended to cause "annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will". This provision, while well-intentioned, has become a tool for suppressing dissent and punishing citizens who dare to criticise powerful institutions. The EFCC's aggressive pursuit of Shehu and Abdulhamad appears disproportionate to the alleged offences. If Shehu's Instagram post was false, the appropriate response would have been a rebuttal, a clarification, or at most a civil defamation suit, not the deployment of state security apparatus to detain a student for nearly a month and seek her remand in prison.
The allegations against Shehu and Abdulhamad remain unproven, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The EFCC has the right to investigate and prosecute crimes, including cybercrimes. However, the exercise of this right must be balanced against fundamental rights to freedom of expression, fair hearing, and the presumption of innocence. The detention of a final-year student for nearly a month and her remand in prison just days before her examinations is not justice; it is a travesty of it. If the EFCC is serious about its mandate, it must refocus its energies on pursuing the big fish who steal public funds rather than hunting down citizens who post critical comments on social media. The August 31 hearing will determine the fate of Shehu and Abdulhamad, but the damage to the EFCC's reputation as a fair and impartial institution may already be done. The Commission's decision to post the arraignment details despite Sowore's criticism suggests a defiant posture that may further erode public confidence in its commitment to justice and fairness.
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