Gombe court allows bail for man accused of defaming APC governorship candidate

The Gombe Chief Magistrate Court No. 1 on Monday granted bail to Suleiman Dawawu. He faces charges for allegedly defaming the character of Dr Jamil Gwamna, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Gombe State.

Dawawu lives in Manawachi Quarters, Gombe. He appeared before Magistrate Musa Kilawa after being accused of a publication made on July 28, 2026. Abba Pantami and Hafiz Kabade are also accused but are currently not in custody.

The prosecution claims the defendants shared statements on their Facebook accounts. They alleged that Gwamna had been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. This arrest was said to be linked to fraud involving funds from the Kano Electricity Distribution Company.

According to the prosecution, the publication was made "with intention to harm or knowing, or having reason to believe that the statement of facts will harm his reputation."

State counsel and prosecutor Barrister B.A. Mahmoud told the court that the alleged offences go against Sections 79, 391, and 393 of the Penal Code Law. When the charges were read to him, Dawawu pleaded not guilty.

After he pleaded, his lawyer, Barrister Emma Dilos Lasmadas, requested bail for him. This was based on Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Section 177(1) of the Gombe State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2020.

The defence argued that Dawawu deserved bail and should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. After listening to the arguments, Magistrate Kilawa granted Dawawu bail.

The court then postponed the case to a later date for more proceedings. Pantami and Kabade, the other two accused, are still at large.