Justice Crack Granted N5m Bail Over Alleged Cybercrime

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to social media personality, Justice Chidebere, popularly known as Justice Crack.

Justice Crack is facing prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cybercrime offences linked to a viral video involving the Nigerian Army.

On Monday, May 18, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted him bail in the sum of N5 million and one surety in like sum.

The bail hearing had earlier been delayed last Thursday due to a disagreement between two lawyers, both claiming they were hired to represent him.

When the case resumed on Monday, the court approved his bail after the Federal Government began presenting its case by calling its first witness, Uruntu Douglas, a DSS operative.

Douglas told the court that he recorded the defendant’s statement after he was handed over to the DSS by the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps.

According to him, the statement was given willingly amd the datela was retrieved from the defendant’s phone, including images allegedly sent by soldiers complaining about their welfare.

These materials, he said, were later shared across the defendant’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok.

Printouts from those platforms were submitted in court and accepted as evidence.

However, the defence lawyer objected to the attempt to present a flash drive and the defendant’s phone as evidence, arguing that the defence team had not been given access to review their contents.

The DSS had filed the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/253/2026, accusing Justine Crack of spreading false information capable of causing unrest, based on the viral video linked to the Nigerian Army.

Justice Crack was previously remanded in prison custody by the court after he was arraigned on charges said to border on cyber-related offences.

One of the charges against him read, “That you, CHIDIEBERE JUSTICE MARK, adult, male, of Plot 88 Sabon-Lugbe, Abuja, on or about the 28th day of April, 2026, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did circulate information to the public through your social media handle @JusticeCrack, regarding alleged inadequate feeding of Nigerian Army personnel, which you know the said information to be false but posted it for the purpose of causing annoyance, ill will, and hatred, especially among the citizens who hold divergent views and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, as amended.”

The case has continued to attract public attention, with supporters describing the prosecution as an attempt to suppress dissent, while authorities insist the charges are in line with existing laws regulating online publications.

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