[ad_1]
The Nigeria Police Force on Monday arrested four bloggers – Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Roland Oloniswa and Seun Odunlami – for allegedly cyberstalking Guaranty Trust and publishing false allegations through various social media outlets. was re-indicted at the Federal High Court in Lagos. Holding company.
The defendants face 10 charges involving conspiracy, cyberstalking, false and misleading publications, extortion, blackmail, and loss of stock and market value in a police preference.
The defendants were initially charged with two counts of cyberstalking and false publication and dissemination of false information intended to insult Segun Agbaje, CEO of Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC, in 2024. He was arraigned in court on September 27th.
After accepting their plea, Justice Ayokunle Faji ordered them to be remanded to Ikoyi Correctional Center.
However, when the case came to light on Monday, police prosecutor Ajibola Aribisala (SAN), who heads Olaotan Ajose Adeogun (SAN), told the court that the charges against the defendant were amended to 10 counts.
He said he received fiat money from the Inspector General of Police to prosecute the case.
However, Judge Fazi quashed the original charges against them.
Mr. Alibisara then asked the court to allow the new indictment to be read to the defendant.
Prosecutors said in court that the defendants and others who are still at large conspired to commit the alleged crimes.
He said the incident occurred in August 2024 in Lagos State.
Alibisara said in court that the defendants conspired to cyberstalk Guaranty Trust Holding Company, its management, and the central bank through various social media, making false, misleading and unsubstantiated claims. All said they tried to publish the information even though they knew it was false. Nigeria and the entire Nigerian banking system causing a breakdown of law and order.
He said the defendants used the allegations to publish false publications with the intention of damaging the reputation of Guaranty Trust Holding Company, its management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian banking system as a whole. said.
The prosecution further told the court that the defendants had published false, misleading and unsubstantiated allegations against GTCO, its management, the CBN and the Nigerian banking system as a whole, and used the allegations against Guaranty Trust Holding Company. He said he tried to extort him.
Mr. Alibisara said the defendants, through various social media outlets, fabricated false, misleading and unsubstantiated allegations against GTCO, its management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian banking system as a whole, and marketed the allegations to market value. He said he had fraudulent intent to use the information to influence him. Significantly reduce the value of a company’s stock by significantly reducing its value.
He said the defendants fabricated false, misleading and unsubstantiated allegations against GTCO through various social media outlets and threatened to use the allegations to blackmail and extort Guaranty Trust Holding Company and its management. said.
According to the prosecutor, the crime was committed under cybercrime Articles 27(1)(a), (b), 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(c)(ii) (prohibition, prevention). etc.) was in violation. ) 2015 Act (as amended).
These crimes are punishable under Articles 422,507 and 408 of the Criminal Code Code. C 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Judge Fazi ordered the defendants to be remanded to the correctional center pending the filing and hearing of the bail application.
Earlier, the defendant’s lawyer, Mr Olakunle Afolabi, told the court that he opposed the charges and needed time to hear the newly amended charges.
He also gave the defendant a condition that he apply for bail verbally if he is charged with new charges, but the judge said he would not accept the verbal bail application.
In response, Alibisara said that as a human rights lawyer, he was concerned about the defendant’s freedom.
As a result, Afolabi withdrew his objections and the chargesheet was read to the defendant.
The judge directed the prosecution to submit evidence by the next adjournment date.
The case was adjourned until October 24, 2024, with the defense filing a bail application that will be forwarded to the prosecution.
