Sultan was picked up on July 23 in Kano and transferred to Abuja without formal charges. He was later remanded in Keffi Prison on a two-count charge linked to the doctored video.
Fresh revelations have emerged in the controversial arrest and prosecution of Nigerian TikToker, Gali Ismail Abdullahi, popularly known as “Sultan,” who was detained by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), over a viral video falsely suggesting the death of President Bola Tinubu.
Sultan was picked up on July 23 in Kano and transferred to Abuja without formal charges. He was later remanded in Keffi Prison on a two-count charge linked to the doctored video.
His lawyer insists he is being persecuted based on false evidence and manipulated public sentiment.
Findings have confirmed that the viral video used to justify Sultan’s arrest was digitally manipulated, deliberately edited to misrepresent him as wishing death on President Tinubu.
The original video, which remains live on his TikTok page, shows that Sultan was referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not Tinubu.
In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Sultan’s lawyer, Hamza N. Dantani, Esq., accused the DSS of orchestrating a string of illegal actions, including an unlawful court arraignment, denial of access to legal representation, incommunicado detention, and a Gestapo-style arrest in Kano.
“The truth is that the guy was wrongfully framed,” Dantani told SaharaReporters.
“The video circulating on social media purporting that he wished for President Tinubu death is edited. The original version is still on his TikTok page. He was talking about Netanyahu, not Tinubu. But they cut the video and inserted an AI-generated image of Tinubu on a sick bed to incite the public.”
‘They Secretly Brought Another Magistrate’
The lawyer also raised serious concerns over how Sultan’s case has been handled in court.
“The case was filed before Magistrate Court 2 in Wuse, but the sitting Magistrate was unavailable. Mysteriously, they brought in another Magistrate to sit on the matter,” he said.
“When the original Magistrate who was supposed to preside asked the court registrar to notify DSS to produce Sultan, they refused to comply.”
Dantani alleged that despite filing for administrative bail with his contact information attached, the DSS bypassed him and hurriedly arraigned Sultan the next day without informing his lawyer.
“They just arranged a charge-and-bail lawyer for him without my knowledge,” he added.
The DSS allegedly denied both legal and family access to Sultan during his time in custody.
“I also requested that they allow me or any of his family members to see him,” Dantani said. “But this was not granted. They kept him incommunicado.”
In a formal bail application, Dantani wrote: “Our client was arrested on the 23rd of July, 2025, by DSS officers in Kano in a Gestapo-style operation. He was not informed of the grounds of his arrest as required under Section 36(6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution. We are unaware of any alleged crime or pending charge at the time of his arrest.
“We hereby apply for his bail under Sections 35(4) and 36(5) of the Constitution and Sections 30, 31, and 158 of the ACJA. He is a responsible citizen and will not jump bail.”
The DSS reportedly never responded to the application.
It was also reported how DSS officers stormed the Keffi Correctional Facility on July 29, where Sultan was being held, and, without a court order forced him to surrender passwords to his phone, email, iCloud, and other private accounts.
A petition dated July 30, 2025, addressed to the DSS Director-General and signed by Dantani, described the move as a gross violation of Sultan’s right to privacy under Section 37 of the Constitution.
“These operatives, acting outside the scope of the law, forced our client to surrender the passwords to his phone, iCloud, email, and other private accounts,” the petition said.
Dantani added that criminal proceedings had already begun, meaning any further investigative actions ought to have been sanctioned by the court — not carried out unilaterally by the DSS.
He cited Fawehinmi v. I.G.P. and Independent Television v. ESBIR to establish that all evidence obtained under duress or outside due process is inadmissible in court under Section 14 of the Evidence Act.
No Hate Speech Or Threats In Sultan’s Previous Videos
SaharaReporters also reviewed Sultan’s most recent content, including older TikTok videos addressing President Tinubu.
In none of the materials did Sultan use threats, vulgar language, or make derogatory remarks against the Nigerian President.
One of his videos, now trending again, includes the following remarks: “The President of Nigeria was deeply shaken upon hearing the news of the death of business mogul Alhaji Aminu Dantata. He immediately left all official engagements in Abuja and flew to Kano to pay his condolences to the family of one of Africa’s richest men.
“There was a strong and cordial relationship between Alhaji Aminu Dantata and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“During the President’s visit, reports indicated that some businessmen in the Kano market were unable to open their shops due to the major disruption caused by the high-profile visit.
“Both former President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Aminu Dantata have now answered the call of God. These were men who had achieved virtually everything they desired in this world.
“Therefore, we who are alive should use the privilege of life to do good deeds before death takes us. May God forgive Buhari and Alhaji Aminu for all their shortcomings, and may He also forgive our departed parents.
“My final call is to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: this is the right time to make use of the opportunity that God has given you. Since you are alive, do what is right and help the masses who supported your ambition—especially those who lost their businesses because of it—before you became president.
“Also, do not see power as something that lasts forever. Power is a privilege, and not everyone is granted it. As a Muslim, if you cheat two to ten people, you will be shocked on the Day of Resurrection to see the weight of their grievances—let alone if you wrong millions.
“May God give you the strength to fulfill your promises, and may He also grant us the patience to endure.”
In another post, Sultan fact-checked a statement by Tinubu where the President said Nigerians eat cow skin instead of turning it into exportable products — a clip that recently resurfaced and went viral.
“Hope President Tinubu has not forgotten that he is still the President of Nigeria for making such a statement saying, “tell me what are we producing and selling to other countries not even slippers, we eat the skin of our cows instead of turning them to beautiful bags and shoes. Eliminate that, it’s a sign of poverty.”
He said, “Meanwhile, this statement is currently trending on social media shows President Tinubu asking an interviewer, “Tell me, what are we producing in Nigeria?
“He also remarked that in Nigeria, people are eating cow skin instead of using it to produce shoes and bags. He said such practices should be eradicated as they reflect the level of poverty in the country.
“However, while many are sharing this statement online, here’s the truth most people don’t know: Tinubu actually made this statement back in 2023—exactly two years ago—during a programme titled “Dialogue with Presidential Candidates on the Nigerian Economy.”
“For those asking when he made that statement, it was on February 11, 2023.
“But the real question is: since Tinubu became president, have we started producing and exporting anything significant from Nigeria?
“My final call is to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: this is the right time to use the opportunity God has given you. Do what is right and help the people who supported your ambition.
“Power is a privilege… May God give you the strength to fulfill your promises, and may He also grant us patience to endure.”
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