The Nigeria Police Force has filed a six-count cybercrime charge against a Kano-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Adam Zubair Adam, popularly known as Baffa Hotoro, over alleged criminal defamation and intimidation targeting the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi and Sheikh Mannir Adam Koza.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, were brought under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act of 2015 (as amended in 2024). The case, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/87/2026 and dated 10 May 2026, lists the Inspector General of Police as the complainant and Sheikh Baffa Hotoro as the defendant.
The defendant, who was arrested and granted bail in February 2026, was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday 11 May 2026. However, the arraignment did not proceed as he failed to appear in court. Evidence obtained by this newspaper shows that the cleric was duly served with court processes but offered no explanation for his absence.
Background to the case
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, who died on 25 November 2025, was a prominent Islamic scholar and leader of the Tijjaniya movement, with millions of followers across Nigeria and West Africa. Sheikh Mannir Koza is a leading young voice within the same movement.
Sheikh Baffa Hotoro is a Salafi cleric known for controversial statements, including attacks on Sufi scholars and fellow Wahabi clerics.
On 18 June 2024, he made slanderous and derogatory remarks against the two scholars. In a viral video delivered in Hausa, he swore by Allah that they were polytheists and idolaters who were Islamically barred from entering the Ka’aba in Makkah.
He was heard saying: “I swear by Allah, Munir Koza is among those whose visit to the Sacred House of Allah is disapproved. I swear by the mightiness of Allah, Dahiru Usman Bauchi, the head of all evil, is among those Allah has disapproved. These are polytheists. They have no connection with Islam.”
In May 2023, the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested him over similar comments against Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi. He later issued a public apology. However, following the scholar’s death in November 2025, he was again seen in a viral video making further derogatory statements, prompting fresh petitions from the late sheikh’s family and Sheikh Koza. He was rearrested in February 2026 and granted bail.
The six charges
The charges include violations of the Cybercrime Act and the Penal Code Act. Among them, Count One alleges that on 18 June 2024, the defendant published a false video via his TikTok and Facebook pages to cause annoyance, intimidation, enmity, and ill will against Sheikh Mannir Adam Koza. Count Two makes similar allegations concerning the late Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi on 27 November 2025.
Counts Three and Four accuse him of breaching the peace by calling both scholars “Mushrik” (polytheists), actions likely to disturb public order among Tijjaniyya followers. Counts Five and Six allege he made false statements intended to harm the reputations of the two scholars.
Petitions and concerns
The case follows petitions dated 19 July 2024 and 10 December 2025, filed by Barrister M. M. Nasir of Compass Chambers on behalf of Sheikh Koza and the late cleric’s family. The complainants argued that such inflammatory comments, made against a revered national figure, risk inciting anger, provoking unrest, and emotionally destabilising millions of followers. They also noted that the suspect had made boastful social media posts demeaning police authority even while under investigation.
Clerics and lawyers react
A cross-section of Islamic scholars from both Sufi and Wahabi traditions told this newspaper that the legal action would help sanitise the preaching ecosystem in Northern Nigeria and de-escalate sectarian tensions. Ustaz Muhammad Sagir said: “It is totally unacceptable to arbitrarily declare a person a polytheist.” Malam Yusuf al-Maliky added that the case would deepen inter-sect fellowship and deter unguarded pulpit rhetoric.
Legal practitioners also praised the move. Barrister Ibrahim Ahmad Kabir said: “It is commendable that the complainants chose legal action instead of self-help.” Another lawyer, Garba Mohammed, noted that a bench warrant might be issued against the defendant if the court confirms he was duly served and failed to appear.
No comment from cleric
Attempts to obtain a response from Sheikh Hotoro were unsuccessful. A text message and a WhatsApp message sent by this newspaper seeking to know why he was absent from court received no reply.
