Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the prison remand of another popular Nigerian Blogger, Chris Kehinde Nwandu on charges of defamation and cyber crimes.
Nwandu is accused of aiding another blogger, Seun Oloketuyi in publishing a story he knew was false about the managing director/chief executive officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo.
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Oloketuyi was on August 25, 2015 arraigned on two counts for allegedly publishing a defamatory story on his blog, www.naijahottestgist.com in which he said Okonkwo was carrying on an adulterous affair with one of his bank staff leading to the birth of a love child and the dissolution of his alleged lovers marriage.
Nwandu was on Thursday, September 2, 2015 arraigned by the police for allegedly posting on his Facebook page the story published by Oloketuyi, accompanied with some photographs of Okonkwo.
The police slammed two counts on Nwandu. One of the counts read, “That you, Chris Kehinde Nwandu, acting in concert with one Seun Oloketuyi, on or about June 2015, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did knowingly or intentionally sent a message and pictures by means of computer system on your Facebook page purporting to be that of one Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Managing Director /CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, which you know to be false, for the purpose of causing him annoyance, insult and ill will and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention etc) Act, 2015.”
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The police prosecutor, Olakanmi Omisope, added that Nwandu is liable to punishment under Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation.
The offence is said to carry a maximum of three years imprisonment or a fine of N7m or both.Nwandu, pleaded not guilty to both counts.
“My Lord, in view of the plea of the accused person, we will be asking for an order remanding the accused in prison, while we also seek an adjournment for trial,” Omisope prayed the court.
The judge, ordered that Nwandu should be remanded in prison custody, while he adjourned till September 7, 2015 to take his application for bail.
Mudasiru Arhai, who represented Nwandu confirmed he would be applying for bail.
Hmmmm…
May God Help Us.