Four bloggers—Precious Eze, 38, Olawale Rotimi, 47, Rowland Olonishu, and Seun Odunlami—have been remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for allegedly cyberstalking and false dissemination.
Punch newspaper reported that the bloggers committed the offences against the Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC (GTCO), Segun Agbaje which aimed at defaming him.
The paper added that Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the bloggers to remand on Friday.
They were arraigned before the court on two amended charges, both involving cyberstalking and the spread of false information. The charges were filed by officers from the Police Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos.
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During the arraignment, police prosecutor Emmanuel Jackson, alongside Justin Enang, informed the court of the amended charges and requested them be read aloud for the defendants to enter their pleas.
In the amended charges, dated September 26, 2024, the police alleged that in August 2024, the four defendants conspired to engage in cyberstalking.
Jackson also stated that the bloggers were accused of deliberately using social media to circulate false messages and claims, including allegations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The claims read, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, FRIS stormed GTBank over Segun Agbaje’s N1 trillion scam” and “Whistleblowers expose Segun Agbaje’s nepotism, power play, enriching himself and his sister, Kofo Dosekunni.”
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The police prosecution further stated that the publications in question were allegedly made with the intent to insult, intimidate, or cause harm, ill-will, or unnecessary distress to Mr Agbaje.
The alleged offences violated Section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended in 2024, and Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act.
Following the reading of the charges, the defendants entered not-guilty pleas. Mr Jackson requested that the court set a trial date and remand the defendants in custody until trial.
The defence counsel, O.A. Afolabi, did not object to scheduling the trial but applied for bail on behalf of two of the defendants.
However, Mr Jackson opposed granting bail solely to two defendants in a joint trial. The court also denied the defence’s oral bail request.
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Justice Faji instructed the defence to submit a formal bail application and as a result, the judge adjourned the case to October 4, 2024, for trial.
