A 76-year-old man, Bala Mohammed, was arraigned on Thursday at Chief Magistrate Court 5 in Bauchi for allegedly defaming several women by posting their photos on Facebook and falsely claiming they were his girlfriends with whom he had sexual relationships. The charges, which include defamation of character, were filed against Mohammed, a resident of Tambari Housing Estate in Bauchi.
The prosecutor, ASP Zakari Mohammed, informed the court that the alleged offense occurred in October 2024. According to the police, Mohammed posted multiple pictures of women on his Facebook page, making false claims about having intimate relationships with them.
One of the women, who is the complainant in the case, testified that she had only taken a selfie with Mohammed and had no romantic or sexual involvement with him. Her name was withheld for privacy reasons. The complainant’s testimony contradicted Mohammed’s claims on social media, leading to the charges.
ASP Mohammed outlined that the defendant’s actions violated several sections of the Bauchi State Penal Code of 2022, including sections 183, 196, 388, and 389, which pertain to defamation and false representation. These sections criminalize actions that harm individuals’ reputations through false or misleading statements.
In court, the magistrate, Mrs. Laraba Hamisu, declined to take a plea from Mohammed. She ruled that the case should proceed to further investigation. “The defendant will remain in custody at the Bauchi Correctional Centre until the next hearing,” Magistrate Hamisu ordered.
The case has been adjourned to November 27, 2024, for further proceedings, with the court allowing time for a more thorough investigation into the allegations. The outcome of the case will depend on further examination of the evidence and testimonies presented.
This case has drawn attention to the issue of social media misuse and the legal implications of spreading defamatory content online, particularly when it involves damaging individuals’ personal reputations.
