BREAKING: Audu Maikori released on bail

Chocolate City boss, Audu Maikori, has been granted bail after he was arraigned before a Kaduna Magistrate’s Court along Ibrahim Taiwo Road, his lawyer said Monday.

A lawyer and associate of Mr. Maikori, John Danfulani, said his client received the bail on “very liberal terms” Mondayafternoon.

He was taken to court by police officers and the Director of Public Prosecution in Kaduna State, Dari Bayero, Mr. Danfulani said.

Mr. Maikori faces allegations of incitement to violence initiated by the Kaduna State Government over inaccurate tweets he posted in which he alleged assassination of some college students in Southern Kaduna. He was arrested last week Friday and held at a police facility in Kaduna, although the police have denied being responsible for his incarceration.

Mr. Danfulani said his client was granted bail after being charged for the first time on Monday, under the controversial Cybercrime Act.

The government “charged him under Section 24 of Cybercrime Act. He will appear before the Chief Magistrate,” Mr. Danfulani told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Monday afternoon.

The court adjourned further hearing on the matter until May 24.

Mr. Maikori is the latest Nigerian social media user to be detained under the Cyber Crime Act, which was signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Bloggers Seun Oloketuyi and Emmanuel Ojo were arrested in 2015 for offences that allegedly contravened the act. They were both released on bail.

Another blogger, Abubakar Usman, was arrested last August based on similar charges, but he was released the next day without subsequent updates, indicating that authorities might have abruptly dropped the case.