Police file fresh Charges against four bloggers for Cyber Stalking GTB, Others
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos today issued fresh order that, four bloggers, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi Rowland Olonishuwa, Seun Odunlami arraigned before the court for the offences of Cyber Stalking Guaranty Trust Holding Company, it’s management and the Central Bank of Nigeria should further be remanded in the custody the Ikoyi correctional services.
The presiding Judge Ayokunle Faji made the order sequel to plea of not guilty to new ten count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit Cyber Stalking,Conspiracy to defraud and Extortion by threats preferred against them,they are to be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional service pending the time their bail application will be determined.
When the case was called,the prosecuting counsel,through the Fiat of the Inspector General of Police,High Chief Ajibola Aribisala SAN leading Olaotan Ajose-Adeogun,Barrister Adebayo Olaleye and six other lawyers,urged the court to strike out the former four count charge filed before the court as new charge of ten count has been filed.
Consequently,Justice FAJI struck out the old charge and ordered that the new charge should be read to the defendants for their plea to be taken.
However, the defence counsel Olakunle Abiodun Abiola told the court that he was objecting to the charge being read on the ground that he needed time to go through the fresh new charge.
He also gave a condition that if the defendants were arraigned on the fresh charge he would apply for their bail orally, but the judge said he would not allow oral bail application.
Consequently, Afolabi withdrew the objection, and the charge was read to the defendants.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charge,thereafter the judge directed the prosecution to file and serve the proof of evidence while the defence counsel was mandated to file his bail application before the next adjourned date.
Thereafter, based on the agreement of the two parties,the case was adjourned till October 24, 2024, for the hearing of the bail application and trial to commence.
The ten count Charge as filed before the court by Chief Ajibola Aribisala SAN are “That you,Precious Eze ‘M’,Olawale Rotimi ‘M’, Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’,Seun Odunlami ‘M’, and others now at large, sometimes in August, 2024, in Lagos and 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 by conspiring and attempting to publish false, misleading and unsubstantiated allegations which you all know to be false, through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO),its Management,the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria with the intention to cause a breakdown of law and order in the Nigerian Banking system and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) and (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention,Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended).
“That you, Precious Eze ‘M’, Olawale Rotimi ‘M’,Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’,Seun Odunlami ‘M’, and others now at large, sometimes in August,2024, in Lagos and within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did commit a felony to wit: Cyber Stalking by publishing false,misleading and unsubstantiated allegations which you all know to be false, through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), its Management,the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria with the intention to cause a breakdown of law and order in the Nigerian banking system and thereby committed an Offence punishable under section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition,Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended).
“That you,Precious Eze ‘M’ Olawale Rotimi ‘M’, Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’ Seun Odunlami ‘M’,and others now at large,sometimes in August,2024,in Lagos and within the the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit:Cyber Stalking by conspiring and attempting to publish unsubstantiated allegations through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO),its Management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria with the intention to use the allegations to cause harm to the reputation of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), its Management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) and (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition,Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended).
“That you,Precious Eze ‘M’, Olawale Rotimi ‘M’, Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’,Seun Odunlami ‘M’, and others now at large,sometimes in August,2024,in Lagos and within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did commit a felony to wit: Cyber Stalking by publishing false.misleading and unsubstantiated allegations through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), its Management,the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria and using the allegations to cause harm to the reputation of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO),its Management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition,Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended).
“That you, Precious Eze ‘M’, Olawale Rotimi ‘M’,Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’,Lagos and others now at large,sometimes in August within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High court,did conspired amongst yourselves to wit : Cyber Stalking by conspiring and attempting to publish false, misleading and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), its Management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria with to use the allegations the intension to use the allegations to extort Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO)Section and its Management and thereby committed an Offence punishable under section 27 (1) (a) and (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc)Act,2015 (as amended).
O, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: Conspiracy to defraud by concocting false,misleading and unsubstantiated allegations through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO),its Management ,the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria with the intension and using the allegations to extort Guaranty Trust Holding Company and its Management. and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 422 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap.C 38,Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
“That you, Precious Eze ‘M’, Olawale Rotimi ‘M’, Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’,Seun Odunlami ‘M’, and others now at large, sometimes in August, 2024, in Lagos and within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit:Extortion by threats by conspiring to concoct false, misleading and unsubstantiated allegations through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), its Management, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria with the intention and using the allegations to threaten and to extort Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) and its Management and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 507 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
“That you,Precious Eze ‘M’,Olawale Rotimi “M’,Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’,Seun Odunlami ‘M’, and others now at large, sometimes in August,2024,in Lagos and within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did commit a felony to wit: Extortion by threats by concocting false, misleading and unsubstantiated allegations through various social media outlets against Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO),its Management,the Central Bank of Nigeria and the entire Banking system in Nigeria and using the allegations to threaten and to extort Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) and its Management and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 408 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap.C 38,Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended)”.