BREAKING: Police Fail to Present TikToker ‘Tumma’ Gabriel in Court Over Alleged Insult on Lagos Governor, IGP
Gabriel was detained for reportedly making disparaging statements about Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun. He has been in solitary confinement for more than a month.
The judge had to postpone the case until April 29, 2025, after the Nigeria Police Force failed to bring well-known TikToker Timothy Gabriel, commonly known as “Tumma,” to court on Monday for a trial.
Gabriel was detained for reportedly making disparaging statements against Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun. He has been in solitary confinement for more than a month.
The IGP is the complainant and the main initiator of the case, according to court filings. In accordance with the Cybercrimes (Prevention, Prohibition, etc.) Act 2025 (as amended in 2024), the IGP charges Gabriel with cyberstalking.
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Count One: Gabriel is charged with making a false claim that the governor of Lagos State is an armed robber with a penchant for robbing the state coffers. The remark purportedly sought to harm the governor’s reputation and was posted on his TikTok account, OFFICIAL_TUMMA. Under the Cybercrimes Act, this is punishable under Section 24(2)(c)(i) and is deemed an offense under Section 24(2)(a).
Count Two: According to the Cybercrimes Act, Gabriel is also charged with uploading a video that threatened the IGP’s reputation.
When highly armed officers attacked Gabriel’s location in Mpape, Abuja, on February 6, 2025, he was taken into custody. Later on, he was moved to the Nigeria Police Force’s Cybercrime Center.
According to earlier reports, IGP Egbetokun ordered Gabriel’s detention because of remarks he made in his videos. His denial of bail after more than a month in custody raises questions about human rights abuses and the abuse of authority to suppress critics.
The incident on Monday adds credence to the theory that the police are purposefully obstructing court processes in order to maintain Gabriel’s detention indefinitely.
