There was a moment of drama at the Federal High Court in Abuja as Adun Adewale, also known as “Coachbanter,” sought to change his guilty plea after initially admitting to two cybercrime charges.
The case, involving the alleged spreading of false information against Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was brought before Justice Emeka Nwite.
Adewale was accused of using his Tiktok account, “@brodabanter_backup_page,” to post videos making false claims about the I-G’s involvement in criminal activities.
In the first count, Adewale allegedly spread a video falsely accusing Egbetokun of colluding with a cartel to move cash from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In the second, he accused Egbetokun of victimizing police officers to protect the cartel.
During the arraignment, Adewale initially pleaded guilty to both charges.
However, when the second charge was read aloud, he requested to change his plea, explaining that he had shared the video after seeing it elsewhere, not fully understanding the consequences of his actions.
His defense lawyer, O.A. Olaleye, requested a stand-down to confer with his client, which was granted by the court.
Upon reconvening, Olaleye informed the court that Adewale had admitted he did not fully comprehend the charges at the time of his plea.
The lawyer subsequently requested that the charges be read again so Adewale could provide an informed response.
The prosecution, represented by Victor Okoye, strongly opposed the plea change, stating that Adewale had affirmed his understanding of the charges and had legal representation during the proceedings.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case until December 30 for further legal discussions on the matter.
