Court Strikes Out Case Over Alleged Threat to Release Gov Yusuf’s Nude Photos

By Uzair Adam

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a cybercrime case against Sanusi Dankaka, who was accused of threatening to release nude videos and photographs allegedly involving Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Justice Salim Ibrahim struck out the case on Tuesday after the prosecution counsel, A.Y. Afegbua, applied to withdraw the charges against Dankaka, the sole defendant.

Dankaka’s counsel, Kauna Penzin, did not oppose the application, prompting the judge to strike out the case in a brief ruling.

The development came after Justice Ibrahim had adjourned the matter until December 7 for the commencement of trial, following Dankaka’s plea of not guilty. However, the case was relisted as number 28, the last matter on Tuesday’s cause list.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) arraigned Dankaka on a two-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime offences.

The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/699/2026, was filed on October 22 by Afegbua and alleged that the offences were committed in October 2026.

In the first count, the DSS accused Dankaka and other persons still at large of attempting to publish malicious content through his Facebook account, “Sanusi Dankaka Yahaya”, in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The defendant was alleged to have claimed that he possessed nude videos and photographs of Governor Yusuf and threatened to release them to the public.

The alleged offence was said to contravene Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended, and was punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law.

In the second count, Dankaka and others still at large were accused of publishing content on the same Facebook account claiming that he possessed the alleged videos and photographs of the governor.

According to the DSS, the defendant knew the publication was false but allegedly circulated it to cause annoyance, inconvenience, insult and injury to the governor’s person and reputation.

The agency said the alleged offence was punishable under Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, as amended.