EFCC Chairman Orders Withdrawal of Charges Against BUK Student, Other
- EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede ordered the withdrawal of charges against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad after they were arraigned on August 20, 2026
- The two young Nigerians were charged with cybercrime and spreading malicious information against the commission before a Federal High Court in Abuja
- The EFCC boss cited passionate pleas from Shehu's father and appeals from Nigerians, but issued a firm warning against future attacks on the commission's image
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn cybercrime charges against two young Nigerians, including a final-year university student, after public pressure from rights activists, lawyers, and student groups mounted following their arraignment in Abuja.
EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede ordered the charges against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad dropped on Friday, August 21, 2026, a day after both defendants appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Source: Instagram
The pair had been arraigned on Thursday, August 20, on allegations of cybercrime and spreading malicious information against the Commission, contrary to Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
The EFCC said in a statement that Olukoyede acted on the passionate plea from Shehu's father and appeals from "well-meaning Nigerians" for leniency, even as the Commission maintained that the charges were legally valid.
What Happened to Maryam Shehu
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who was present at both court sittings on Thursday, August 20, drew widespread attention to the case after he described the arraignment as an abuse of the rights of two citizens.
Sowore said both defendants had spent close to 30 days in detention before being brought to court, and that the judge remanded Maryam in Suleja Prison and her co-defendant in Kuje Prison pending their next hearing date of August 31.
Sowore noted that Maryam, a student of Bayero University Kano (BUK), was due to begin her final examinations that Saturday, making her continued detention particularly alarming.
"What kind of institution detains a university student for nearly a month, arraigns her for allegedly cyberbullying the agency, and then seeks to keep her behind bars while her final examinations are about to begin?" Sowore wrote on social media.
Pressure That Led to the Reversal
After Sowore's public disclosure, Olukoyede directed that the charges be dropped. However, the release of both defendants was delayed because Justice Abdulmalik had not sat in court on Friday, meaning the formal paperwork required for their discharge could not be processed immediately.
In a Facebook post, Sowore credited activist Adeyanju Deji, human rights lawyers Abba Hikima, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, and counsel Chimela, Esq., for working through the day to complete the necessary documentation. He also noted that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) sent representatives to the Federal High Court to support Maryam's case.
Sowore urged BUK authorities to allow Maryam to resit any examinations she missed as a direct result of her detention if she was not released in time.
The EFCC, in its statement, warned that it would no longer tolerate deliberate attacks on its image and assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to act within its mandate.
Adeleke withdraws EFCC case
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had ordered the state's attorney-general to pull back a lawsuit filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of the state government's bank account, saying President Bola Tinubu's direct intervention prompted the decision.
Adeleke made the announcement during an interview with Channels Television, hours after he was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election.
Source: Legit.ng
