Court Stalls Trial As Police Fail To Produce TikToker ‘Tumma’ In Court Over Alleged Insult On Sanwo-Olu, IGP

The Nigeria Police Force on Monday reportedly failed to bring the well-known TikToker, Timothy Gabriel, also referred to as ‘Tumma’, to court for his trial, prompting the judge to postpone the proceedings until April 29, 2025.

Gabriel has been in solitary confinement for over a month following his arrest on charges of making defamatory statements about Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.

A source present at the court session confirmed the adjournment, stating, “We have just come from the court, and the police did not present him, leading the judge to reschedule the case for April 29.”

In light of increasing public discontent, an X user named Larry, who is closely monitoring the situation, criticized the police and called for Gabriel’s immediate release.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had originally set the hearing for March 24, 2025.

Documents obtained by SaharaReporters indicate that the IGP is both the complainant and the primary instigator of the case. He accuses Gabriel of cyberstalking under the Cybercrimes (Prevention, Prohibition, etc.) Act 2025, as amended in 2024.

In the first count, Gabriel is charged with making a false claim that the Lagos State Governor is an armed robber involved in embezzling state funds. This allegation, posted on his TikTok account, OFFICIAL_TUMMA, is said to have been intended to tarnish the governor’s reputation. It falls under Section 24(2)(a) and is punishable according to Section 24(2)(c)(i) of the Cybercrimes Act.

Count Two: Gabriel faces allegations of sharing a video intended to damage the reputation of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), an act that is also subject to penalties under the Cybercrimes Act.

Naija News understands that Gabriel was apprehended on February 6, 2025, when heavily armed officers raided his residence in Mpape, Abuja.

He was subsequently moved to the Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to SaharaReporters, sources revealed that IGP Egbetokun initiated Gabriel’s arrest due to remarks made in his videos.

Despite being held for over a month, he has not been granted bail, raising alarms about potential human rights infringements and the abuse of authority to suppress dissent.

The recent developments on Monday intensified concerns that the police may be intentionally obstructing legal processes to prolong Gabriel’s detention indefinitely.