Nigerian TikToker ‘Sultan’ Detained Over Fake Tinubu Death Video – Lawyer Alleges Rights Violations
Popular Nigerian TikTok creator, Gali Ismail Abdullahi, better known as Sultan, has been detained by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) after a digitally altered video falsely implying the death of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu went viral.
According to Sultan’s lawyer, Hamza N. Dantani, Esq., the young creator is being wrongfully prosecuted over content that was doctored and misrepresented to incite public outrage.
The original clip, still visible on Sultan’s TikTok account, reportedly refers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not Tinubu.
Arrested Without Charges, Held Incommunicado
Sultan was reportedly picked up in Kano on July 23, 2025, in what his lawyer described as a “Gestapo-style” operation.
He was then transferred to Abuja without formal charges, and subsequently remanded to Keffi Correctional Facility on a two-count charge tied to the manipulated video.
Dantani claims that neither he nor Sultan’s family were allowed access to him while in custody.
“The video being circulated online was edited. The original version is still up, and it clearly shows he was referring to Netanyahu—not President Tinubu,” Dantani told SaharaReporters.
“They inserted an AI-generated image of Tinubu on a hospital bed to twist the narrative and incite anger.”
Sultan’s legal team says the case was scheduled before Magistrate Court 2 in Wuse, but when the sitting magistrate was unavailable, another judge was quietly brought in to hear the case without proper notice.
Despite filing an application for administrative bail with his contact information, Dantani said the DSS proceeded without notifying him, assigning Sultan a “charge-and-bail” lawyer instead.
DSS Allegedly Violated Privacy, Forced Access to Personal Accounts
In a formal petition dated July 30, Dantani accused the DSS of coercing Sultan to hand over access to his phone, email, iCloud, and other private accounts, without a court order.
“This is a gross violation of his constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution,” the petition states.
The petition also emphasizes that since criminal proceedings had already begun, any further investigative actions should require judicial approval. Evidence obtained under duress, Dantani notes, is inadmissible in court under Section 14 of the Evidence Act.
An analysis of Sultan’s previous TikTok content reveals no instances of hate speech, threats, or vulgar remarks directed at the Nigerian president.
In fact, many of his posts include faith-based appeals for good governance and public accountability.
One recent video shows Sultan reflecting on the deaths of notable figures such as Alhaji Aminu Dantata and former President Muhammadu Buhari, urging President Tinubu to lead with compassion and humility:
“Power is a privilege… Do what is right and help the people who supported your ambition. May God give you the strength to fulfill your promises.”
In another post, Sultan fact-checks a viral clip of Tinubu criticizing Nigerians for consuming cow skin instead of exporting leather goods, clarifying that the statement was made in 2023, prior to Tinubu’s presidency.
