By Taiye Agbaje & Chinyere Onuorah
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday admitted Justice Mark, popularly known as Justice Crack, to a N5 million bail with a surety in like sum in the ongoing trial for alleged cybercrime offence.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on the bail application, ordered that the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court at a fixed address for at least four years.
Justice Abdulmalik directed that the surety must deposit proof of residence, either through a tenancy agreement or certificate of occupancy at the court registry.
The judge said that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15, with evidence of at least three months’ salary, a letter of authentication from the immediate head of department, as well as proof of pensionable employment.
She further directed that the surety must depose to an affidavit of means, submit a recent passport photograph.
The judge also ordered Mark, who is the sole defendant, to deposit his international passport with the court registry.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, M.L. Jackson, informed the court that the prosecution was ready to commence trial.
The 1st prosecution witness (PW-1), identified as Douglas Uruntu, was called to give evidence.
While being led in evidence by Jackson, the witness, a Department of State Services (DSS)’ operative, told the court that he came to know Mark during investigations after he was transferred to the DSS by the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps.
The PW-1 said the defendant voluntarily made an extra-judicial statement which was recorded in the presence of his lawyers.
According to Uruntu, soldiers had sent pictures to the defendant, who allegedly made videos from the images and posted them on social media without confirming the authenticity of the materials from military sources.
He further told the court that investigators extracted data from the defendant’sources.
He said the data included videos allegedly posted online, conversations between Mark and some soldiers, chats with his godfather, as well as excerpts from his social media pages.
The witness added that a certificate of compliance was issued and signed by a superior officer after the forensic process was concluded.
But the defence counsel, Sam Amadi, informed the court that they had not been served with the investigation report and other documents sought to be tendered by the prosecution.
The prosecution, however, described the failure as an oversight and apologised before the court.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently admitted the DSS investigation report as Exhibit A.
The prosecution also tendered an iPhone allegedly recovered from the defendant, a flash drive which contained videos posted on social media platforms, conversations extracted from the device and the certificate of compliance.
Amadi objected to the admissibility of the flash drive, arguing that its contents had not been described or played before the court.
The judge adjourned the matter until May 25 for continuation of trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DSS had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/253/2026, sued Crack, a social media influencer, as sole defendant over alleged cybercrime offences linked to a viral video concerning the Nigerian Army.
Mark was alleged to have circulated a false information and publication of materials capable of causing public unrest.
The defendant, who was reportedly arrested by the Nigerian Army, was accused of publishing the viral video and accompanying statements through his X handle, @JusticeCrack, alleging inadequate feeding of Nigerian soldiers.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)