A civil society organisation, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, seeking an investigation and possible prosecution of social media influencer, Bello Galadanchi, popularly known as DanBello, over alleged cybercrime, harassment and defamation.
The group, Executive Director ,Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi in a petitioned address to IGP and made available to newsmen on Saturday alleged that DanBello, who it claimed is based in China, circulated videos on social media accusing former Zamfara State Governor and Senator representing Zamfara West, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, of diverting ₦1.7tn from the Federation Account through Ajap Financial Services Limited and Abdullahi Abdulkarim Tsafe.
In a petition addressed to the IGP and signed by its Executive Director, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, on Saturday, the group described the allegations as false, politically motivated and intended to damage the reputations of the senator, Tsafe and the company.
The organisation urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations and prosecute the influencer if found culpable under relevant provisions of the law, including the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
According to the petition, Ajap Financial Services Limited is a duly registered private company with the Corporate Affairs Commission and provides financial solutions to public and private sector clients.
The group argued that although the Constitution does not expressly recognise the right to business as a fundamental right, it guarantees broader economic freedoms and protections that should not be undermined through malicious actions.
Shinkafi condemned what he described as cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harassment and defamation targeted at Yari, saying the alleged actions had caused emotional distress, reputational damage and loss of business opportunities for those affected.
He further claimed that the repeated publication of the allegations on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and X amounted to a campaign of calumny designed to ridicule the former governor and his associates before members of the public.
The group maintained that while freedom of expression is guaranteed under the Constitution, such rights must be exercised responsibly and should not be used to spread unsubstantiated allegations.
It urged the police to act swiftly on the petition, saying prompt action would serve as a deterrent against politically motivated cyberstalking and online defamation.
The organisation said it had attached flash drives containing the disputed video clips and screenshots of the social media posts to support its petition.
Meanwhile,DanBello had yet to publicly respond to the allegations contained in the petition as of the time of filing this report.
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