Court dismisses case against man who allegedly threatened Kano governor

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday struck out the case filed against a man, Sanusi Dankaka, who allegedly threatened to publish nude videos and photographs of Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State via his Facebook page. Justice Salim Ibrahim struck out the case after the prosecution lawyer, A.Y. Afegbua, applied to withdraw the charge against Dankaka, the sole defendant.

The defendant’s counsel, Kauna Penzin, did not raise objection to Afegbua’s application for withdrawal of the case, and the judge, in a short ruling, struck it out. Although Justice Ibrahim had adjourned the matter until Dec. 7 for commencement of trial after the defendant pleaded not guilty, the case was relisted on number 28, the last case on today’s cause list.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dankaka was arraigned on a two-count charge, which bordered on cybercrime offences. The Department of State Services (DSS), in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/699/2026 and filed on Oct. 22 by Afegbua, accused the defendant of committing the offence in October 2026. In count one, Dankaka and some others still at large, in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau, were alleged to have attempted, via his Facebook page: “Sanusi Dankaka Yahaya”, to send out the malicious publication.

He was alleged to have said that he possessed nude videos and photographs of Gov. Yusuf, “and threatened to release them to the public, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1)(6) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended and punishable under Section 24 (1) of the same Act.” In count two, he and some others at large were alleged to have, via his Facebook page, “Sanusi Dankaka Yahaya”, sent out a malicious publication alleging that he possessed the said videos and photographs of the governor.

The DSS said the content of the said publication, Dankaka knew was false, but was sent out for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, insult and injury to the person and reputation of Yusuf. The offence, the DSS said, is contrary to and punished under Section 24(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended. (NAN)