A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Mrs. Chioma Egodi in the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Suleja on charges of criminal defamation.
Justice Peter Lifu issued the remand order on Tuesday after Egodi pleaded not guilty to the two-count charges under the Cybercrime Act of 2015.
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The judge scheduled a ruling on Egodi’s bail application for Friday.
Her lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, submitted a medical report claiming that Egodi had suffered a miscarriage due to the psychological trauma from the case.
Effiong argued for bail on these grounds.
However, the prosecution counsel, Abdulrashid Sidi, opposed the bail request, citing concerns that Egodi might abscond based on her previous failure to adhere to the terms of her administrative bail.
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Sidi emphasized that the defendant had not complied with her initial bail conditions, suggesting she would likely disregard any new bail terms.
Unable to make an immediate decision, Justice Lifu postponed the bail ruling to Friday, with the main hearing set to begin on June 13.
The Inspector-General of Police had charged Chioma Egodi, along with Happiness Obas and Don Kashking (both currently at large), with conspiracy to disseminate false information via Facebook through the account “Chioma Egodi Jnr” with the intent to incite public animosity against Erisco Foods Limited.
The charges state that the defendants knowingly posted false information intended to cause annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will, or needless anxiety to Erisco Foods Limited and its stakeholders.
These actions are in violation of Sections 27(1)(b) and 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act.
