A Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna has ordered the remand of activist and public commentator, Shehu Mahdi, at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kaduna, following his claims about an alleged French military base in northern Nigeria.
Mahdi was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) after he ignored warnings to delete videos accusing President Bola Tinubu of permitting France to establish a military presence in the region.
His claims came shortly after Niger Republic’s military leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, alleged the presence of a French base in Nigeria.
The DSS arraigned Mahdi on Tuesday before Magistrate Abubakar Lamido on two counts: conspiracy, aiding and abetting terrorism, under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and inciting public disturbances, contrary to the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017.
Magistrate Lamido ruled that Mahdi would remain in custody until the next hearing, scheduled for January 14, 2025.
Mahdi’s video allegations, widely circulated on social media, were fact-checked by PLATFORM TIMES and Daily Trust found to be false.
The videos, initially shared as evidence of the alleged military base, were identified as 2013 footage of Nigerian soldiers at Bamako Airport, Mali, during an African Union peacekeeping mission.
Both Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, have categorically dismissed Mahdi’s claims as baseless.
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