Police Release TikToker ‘Tumma’ Detained for Insulting IGP After 50 Days

Gabriel had told Nigerians in a viral video to resist the Nigerian Police searching their phones and also verbally attacked President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“If any officer says he wants to check your phone, beat him. Even if the Commissioner of Police or President Tinubu says he wants to check your phone, beat him very well.”

The TikToker was arrested by armed police officers from the Berger Quarry Police Station in Mpape, Abuja, who stormed his location and whisked him away on the 6th of February 2025.

In a post by Activist Omoyele Sowore on Tuesday said “BREAKING: The Nigeria Police Force has released Timothy “Tumma” Gabriel, the TikToker detained for over 50 days at the behest of Senator Remi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Tinubu. Tumma is in high spirits and unbowed!”

Two count charges were brought against him on defamation and insulting the IGP and the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The first charge reads: “That you, Timothy Gabriel ‘m’ 25 years old of Mpape, Abuja, sometime in February 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly or intentionally using computer network posted a video on your TikTok account with profile name OFFICIAL_TUMMA (Gabriel_Timothy), a comment in which you falsely stated that the Executive Governor of Lagos State is an armed robber who specialized in robbing the Lagos State Treasury, a statement aimed at threatening the reputation of the Executive Governor of Lagos State, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to S.24(2)(a) and punishable under S.24(2)(c)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prevention, Prohibition etc) Act 2025 (as amended) 2024.” 

The second charge states: “That you, Timothy Gabriel ‘m’ 25 years old of Mpape, Abuja, sometime in February 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly or intentionally using computer network posted a video on your TikTok account with profile name OFFICIAL_TUMMA (Gabriel_Timothy) aimed at threatening the reputation of the IGP, and you thereby commit an offence contrary to S.24(2)(a) and punishable under S.24(2)(c)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prevention, Prohibition etc) Act 2025 (as amended) 2024.”