The Police have arranged a 43-year-old lawyer in Ebonyi State, Johnson Igwe Nwalo, over allegations of cyberbullying and issuing threats to the life of a federal lawmaker. Nwalo, who resides and practices in the state, was brought before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abakaliki on Monday in a case marked MAB/642c/2025. He faces a three-count charge of conspiracy, cyberbullying, and threatening the life of Hon. Chinedu Ogah, the Member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, for offences allegedly committed in October 2025.
During the arraignment, counsel to the defendant, Kelvin Nwafor, objected to the reading of the charges, insisting that the Magistrates’ Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain cybercrime-related matters. He argued that only the Federal High Court had the authority to handle such offences and that allowing the charges to be read would amount to proceeding with a case before a court without competent jurisdiction. He urged the court to strike out the matter so it could be properly filed before the appropriate court.
The prosecutor, Ezeh Chinagorom, opposed the application, stating that the Administrative Criminal Justice Law had no relevance to the issue raised. He explained that a remand proceeding, as provided under Section 223 of the ACJL of Ebonyi State, differs from a regular arraignment and that the process before the court was in line with the law.
After listening to both sides, Magistrate Sandra Oyibe ruled that the court indeed lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter and consequently ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre. She further directed that the original case file and all accompanying evidence be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice on further prosecution. The matter was adjourned to December 22, 2025, for continued hearing at the High Court.
According to the charges, Nwalo and others now at large allegedly conspired in October 2025 to commit the offence of cyberbullying, an act punishable under Section 516A(a) of the Criminal Code Law of Ebonyi State. He is also accused of intentionally transmitting a live Facebook broadcast through the account of one Amarachi Nweke, during which he made statements that allegedly threatened the reputation of Hon. Chinedu Ogah, a violation of Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015 as amended. Additionally, the charge sheet alleges that Nwalo and unnamed accomplices used the same broadcast to bully the lawmaker, placing him in fear of death, violence, and bodily harm, an offence punishable under Section 24(2)(a) of the amended Cybercrimes Act.
