EFCC withdraws cybercrime charges against BUK student

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the cybercrime charges against two Nigerian students at Bayero University, Kano, Maryam Shehu and Abubakar Abdulhamad. The charges were brought against the pair on Thursday, August 21, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, for allegedly engaging in cybercrime and spreading malicious information about the commission.

The commission had accused Shehu of posting a social media message on June 21 alleging that EFCC officials had assaulted a man named Ahmed Uthman on the orders of a zonal director who had allegedly received a N20 million bribe from another individual. Abdulhamad was also charged under the same provision for a separate allegation.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, announced the withdrawal of the charges in a statement on Friday, expressing the commission's compassion for the defendants and gratitude for the appeals and apologies they received. Despite the charges being considered contrary to Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes Act, the EFCC's Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, decided to drop the charges following the compassionate appeals presented.

The commission emphasized that it would continue to operate within its mandate and in the best interests of the nation, warning against any attempts to tarnish its image.