AGF Petitions Stall Ex-NBA Chairman Tsenyen’s Cyberstalking Trial Again

The trial of Gabriel Nkup Tsenyen, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Shendam Branch, stalled again on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja after the prosecution told the court it was not ready to open its case because of petitions before the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

At the resumed hearing before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, prosecution counsel, Mrs Oladunjoye, who appeared for the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, informed the court that the prosecution could not proceed as scheduled.

She said the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had received petitions and urged the court to adjourn the matter pending the AGF’s decision.

However, the prosecution did not disclose who filed the petitions or their contents.

The defence team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Emeka Etiaba, alongside SAN Obinna Anjokwu and five other lawyers, did not oppose the request for an adjournment.

The court subsequently adjourned the case until February 4, 2027, further delaying the trial over allegations linked to a land dispute involving the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.

The next hearing is scheduled for two days before the February 6, 2027 state-level elections, pushing the proceedings further into the 2027 election period.

The case stems from a four-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) against Tsenyen, accusing him of conspiracy, attempted transmission of false information, cyberstalking and conduct allegedly capable of causing a breach of public peace.

The charges, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act and the Penal Code, arose from messages Tsenyen allegedly posted on the Ngootuguut community WhatsApp platform concerning a dispute over ancestral family land.

According to court documents, the DSS accused him of circulating messages claiming that certain individuals were plotting to eliminate him. The agency alleged that the publications were capable of causing criminal intimidation, hatred, ill will and public anxiety.

The prosecution is registered as Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/317/2026.

However, the land ownership dispute at the centre of the controversy is already before the Plateau State High Court sitting in Shendam.

In Suit No. PLD/59/2025, Tsenyen is seeking a judicial determination of ownership of his family’s ancestral land in Ngotugu’ut village, Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The defendants in the civil case include Tanko Danjuma, Dan-Azumi Danjuma, Miskoom Niemu’ut Mensem and the Incorporated Trustees of William Mensem Memorial Foundation School.

The prosecution has attracted criticism from human rights lawyer and Professor of Law, Chidi Odinkalu, who questioned the decision to pursue criminal charges arising from social media posts about a dispute already before a civil court.

Odinkalu had also said Tsenyen petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) over allegations relating to the disputed land, but the council reportedly declined to investigate, describing the matter as civil and one to be resolved through the courts.

He criticised the DSS for devoting resources to the prosecution while Plateau State continues to face deadly attacks and insecurity.

According to Odinkalu, the case raises concerns about the use of state security institutions in disputes that could be addressed through ordinary judicial proceedings.