The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withdrawn charges filed against a Bayero University student Maryam Shehu and one other person Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on Friday, said EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede ordered the withdrawal on compassionate grounds.

The commission noted the duo were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the EFCC on Thursday.

“While the commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the executive chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency,” the statement noted.

According to the commission, Mr Olukoyede directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform. 

“The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation,” the anti-graft agency added.

The development came hours after human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, raised an alarm over the continued detention of the two individuals, especially Ms Shehu whom he said was supposed to start her examinations at the university.

Mr Sowore, who alleged egregious violation of the rights of the two individuals, said the victims had not heen released yet.

“Unfortunately, the Federal High Court judge who sat yesterday and remanded them in Kuje and Suleja prisons respectively has not sat all day today, so their release is still being delayed,” the activist wrote in a statement on Friday.

The activist appreciated the swift interventions of lawyers over the case, urging the university management to consider Ms Shehu for any missed examinations in case her release was delayed.