The Federal Government of Nigeria initiated its case on an amended three-count charge of alleged cybercrime and felony against social media influencer, Justice Chidiebere, widely known as Justice Crack, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court Abuja. Chidiebere pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During the continuation of the trial, the first prosecution witness, Oronto Douglas, testified before the court. Douglas affirmed that audio and video recordings from the defendant’s interview session were downloaded onto a flash drive as part of the investigation process, and he duly signed a certificate of compliance for this electronic evidence in line with legal requirements.

However, counsel to the defendant raised an objection to the admissibility and playback of the flash drive, arguing that its contents could not be independently verified. Justice Abdulmalik subsequently faulted the prosecution for its failure to properly apply to the court for a playback device to enable the evidence to be viewed openly. The court noted that while the prosecution had applied to the Deputy Chief Registrar for the device, the request should have been directed to the Head of the court’s Information Technology Department.

Following these proceedings, the defense counsel requested that the bail conditions previously granted to Chidiebere remain in force. The prosecution did not object, and Justice Abdulmalik granted the request, ordering that the existing bail conditions continue. The matter was then adjourned to September 28 for the continuation of the trial, with the prosecution counsel tasked to apply to the Head of the IT department for the viewing of the forensic evidence.

Prior to these court proceedings, Justice Chidiebere had publicly broken his silence after being released from security custody. He expressed gratitude to Nigerians, media practitioners, and rights advocates who campaigned for his release, posting a statement on his verified X account. Chidiebere had been declared missing by family members in April 2026 after reportedly dropping his child at school in Abuja. Following public outcry, the Nigerian Army confirmed his custody, stating he was arrested over viral social media videos allegedly showing soldiers complaining about poor feeding and welfare conditions at the frontlines. The military accused him of inciting personnel and undermining national security before handing him over to civil authorities for prosecution. He was subsequently arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on charges including cybercrime and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.

While denying wrongdoing, Chidiebere stated after his release that he never intended to undermine any state institution, expressing respect for those serving the country and his commitment to speaking for ordinary Nigerians. He also indicated he would avoid comments that could interfere with ongoing court proceedings, expressing confidence in the judicial process. His focus, he noted, remained on achieving