A Gombe Chief Magistrate Court has granted bail to Suleiman Dawawu, who is charged with defamation against Dr. Jamil Gwamna, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Gombe State. The ruling was made on Monday by Magistrate Musa Kilawa after Dawawu was arraigned for allegedly spreading false information about Gwamna.

Dawawu, a resident of Manawachi Quarters in Gombe, was accused of making a defamatory publication on July 28, 2026. The prosecution claims that he, alongside two others—Abba Pantami and Hafiz Kabade, who are currently at large—posted on their Facebook accounts that Gwamna had been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of fraud related to the Kano Electricity Distribution Company.

The prosecution argued that the statements made by the defendants were intended to harm Gwamna's reputation and contravened several sections of the Penal Code Law, specifically Sections 79, 391, and 393. During the court proceedings, Dawawu pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In response to the charges, Dawawu's legal counsel, Barrister Emma Dilos Lasmadas, filed a bail application, citing the presumption of innocence as enshrined in Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 177(1) of the Gombe State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2020. The defense argued that Dawawu should be granted bail while awaiting trial.

After considering the arguments from both sides, Magistrate Kilawa approved the bail request, allowing Dawawu to be released pending further court proceedings. The case has been adjourned to a later date, while the other two defendants remain at large, complicating the prosecution's case against them.