Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday granted bail in the sum of N5 million to popular blogger and social media influencer Justice Chidebere, also known as “Justice Crack,” who is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cybercrime offences linked to a viral video involving the Nigerian Army.
The court also ordered the defendant to produce one surety in like sum as part of the bail conditions.
Proceedings on the bail application had stalled last Thursday due to a dispute between two lawyers, both of whom claimed to have been engaged to represent the defendant.
At Monday’s sitting, the court granted bail after the Federal Government opened its case by presenting its first witness, Uruntu Douglas, a DSS operative.
The witness told the court that he recorded the defendant’s extrajudicial statement after he was transferred to DSS custody by the Nigerian Army Intelligence Defence Corps. He added that the statement was made voluntarily.
He further testified that data extracted from the defendant’s phone included images allegedly sent by some soldiers complaining about their welfare, which were later posted across the defendant’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok.
The prosecution tendered the defendant’s social media pages as exhibits, which were admitted by the court.
However, counsel to the defendant objected to the tendering of a flash drive and the defendant’s phone, arguing that the defence had not been served with the contents of the devices.
The DSS, in a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/253/2026, accused Justice Crack of cybercrime offences relating to the alleged circulation of false information capable of causing public unrest.
He was reportedly arrested by the Nigerian Army after allegedly publishing a viral video and accompanying statements on his X handle, @JusticeCrack, where he claimed that Nigerian soldiers were facing poor feeding conditions.
Elijah Adeyemi
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