DSS files terrorism charges against blogger who streamed Igboho’s house raid on Facebook

A female blogger who live-streamed the raid by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the Ibadan, Oyo State home of Yoruba Nations agitator, Sunday Igboho on July 1, has been charged for terrorism by the secret police.

The lady identified as Amudat Habibat Babatunde, an Ibadan-based blogger, had streamed the event on Facebook at about 2am while the DSS and other security agencies raided the home of the Yoruba freedom fighter.

In the 12 minutes, 38 seconds video, Babatunde, on her live Facebook page, ‘Lady K Ifeoluwa Show,’ described the raid on the residence of Igboho and gave a blow by blow account as it went down, alerting the world that the DSS operatives had attacked the residence of her boss.

“Please share this video, soldiers have attacked Chief Sunday Igboho’s house. We are under attack. Nigerian soldiers have attacked us at Chief Sunday Igboho’s house,” she said in the video.

“You can hear the gunshots. This is about 2am. They have been shooting for over 10 minutes now. I had to confirm it before confirming on this Live. I heard their gunshots from my sleep. I can’t come out now. They told me not to come out but alert the world through this Facebook Live,” she said in the video.

Read also: DSS denies hand in alleged attempt to arrest Sunday Igboho

The blogger who is said to be a member of the media team of the Yoruba Nation arrowhead was one of those arrested during the raid by the DSS.

During their arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 4, Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted bail to the 12 detainees, but the DSS freed 10 of them last week and held back the blogger and another person identified as Oyetunji, after over 60 days in detention following their arrest since July 1.

However, in a resumed hearing on Wednesday, the DSS alleged that Babatunde and Oyetunji were in possession of firearms for terrorism-related activities while it specifically alleged that she promoted terrorist acts through her Facebook account.

One of the amended five count charges against her read:

“That you, Amudat Habibat Babatunde, (f), adult of Okeara of Ibadan, Oyo State, did use your Facebook account as a platform to promote terrorist activities contrary to Section 18 (1 &2) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition Prevention Act 2015.”

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