A Lagos Federal HIgh Court, today remanded men over alleged cyberstalking and spreading false information aimed at insulting the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guaranty Trust Holding (GTCO) Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje.
The four men remanded by the court presided over by Justice Ayokunle Faji are: Precious Eze; Olawale Rotimi; Rowland Olonishu and Seun Odunlami.
The court ordered the remand at the Ikoyi, Lagos center of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) of the defendants after they pleaded not guilty to a two count-charge of conspiracy and cyberstalking and spreading false information, made against them by the operatives of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi-Lagos.
The Police in the amended charge marked FHC/L/247c/2024, alleged among others, that the four men, sometimes in August 2024 in Lagos, conspired among themselves to commit cyberStalking.
Specifically, PSFU through its Head of Legal department, Mr. Emmanuel Jackson, a. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) who led Mr. Justine Enang a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) told that the knowingly sent false massages or publications in the social media, through a computer or network to the general public as follows “EFCC, FRIS storms GTBanks over Segun Agbaje’s N1 trillion scam” and ” Whistle Blowers expose Segun Agbaje Nepotism, power play, enrich him and sister, Kofo Dosekunni” among other publications, for the purpose of insulting the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje or for the purpose of causing criminal intimidation, annoyance, Ill-will, needless anxiety, injury or hatred to him.
ACP Jackson told the court that the defendants offences contravened sections 27 and 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (prohibition, Prevention,etc) Act 2015 as amended in 2024, and punishable under the same Act.
Following the reading of the charge and the defendants pleaded of not guilty to same, the prosecutor, ACP Jackson asked the court for a trial date and for an order to remand the defendants in the facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service Centre pending trial.
But counsel to the defendants, Mr. O. A Afolabi, told the court that he was not objecting to a trial date as submitted by the prosecution, but added that he has a motion for bail on behalf of two of the defendants and was ready to move same.
However, ACP Jackson while objecting to the viability of the defendants’ submission to move the bail application for two out of the four defendants in a joint trial.
Also attempts by the defendants’ counsel to move an oral bail application on behalf of the defendants was rejected by the court, as Justice Faji’ urged counsel to the defendants to file a proper bail application that would be responded to by the prosecution if they so wish.
Consequently, Justice Faji adjourned the matter till October 4 for trial and hearing of the defendants’ bail application.
The charge against the defendants reads: “That you, Precious Eze ‘m’, Olawale Rotimi ‘m’, Rowland Olonishuwa, Seun Odunlami and others now a large, sometime in August, 2024 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: Cyber Stalking and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 as amended in 2024.
“That you, Precious Eze ‘m’, Olawale Rotimi ‘m’, Rowland Olonishuwa, Seun Odunlami and others now a large, sometime in August, 2024 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, knowingly sent false messages or publications in the social media, through a computer system or network to the general public as follows: “EFCC, FIRS STORM GTBANK OVER SEGUN AGBAJE’S TRILLION SCAM” and “WHISTLEBLOWERS EXPOSE SEGUN AGBAJE NEPOTISM, POWER PLAY, ENRICH HIM AND SISTER, KOFO DOSEKUNNI”, among other publications, for the purpose of insulting the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje or for the purpose of causing Criminal intimidation, annoyance, ill-will, needless anxiety, injury or hatred to him, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition/Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.”
