The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed five terrorism-related charges against Kaduna-based activist and social critic Mahdi Shehu over his recent online and offline activities,Daily Trust reports.
The charges were submitted at the Federal High Court in Kaduna last Friday, just two days after Shehu was re-arrested by plainclothes operatives at his clinic in Unguwar Dosa.
According to Daily Trust, the activist was previously arrested in December 2024 and arraigned for sharing a misleading video on his social media platform. The DSS alleged that Shehu distributed “doctored videos claiming the Nigerian government had permitted France to establish a military base in the North.” He was later granted bail by the Kaduna State High Court on January 9, 2025, on conditions that included a ₦3 million bond and two prominent clerics as sureties.
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The DSS’s new legal action follows a motion ex parte filed at the same court seeking an order to detain Shehu for 60 days. An operative, speaking anonymously, stated that the motion was based on Section 66 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Justice Rilwan Aikawa granted the order, allowing the DSS to hold Shehu for 60 days to complete their investigations.
The charges against Shehu include:
- False publication intended to incite public alarm, contrary to Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act.
- Dissemination of terrorism-related false information, contrary to Section 26(2)(a) and (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
- Intentional dissemination of false information, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024 (as amended).
- False allegation of treasonable acts, contrary to Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act.
- Using social media to support false claims of a national security threat, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
The DSS claims these actions violate multiple national laws and pose significant security concerns.
