Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded a blogger, Adewale Ajimisogbe and a former member of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM), Ayotunde Richards, over allegations of Cyberbullying the founder of the Church, Dr Daniel Olukoya.
Richards and Ajimisogbe were arraigned before the court on a 12-count charge of conspiracy, cyber-bullying and libel.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa ordered that they should be kept in the custody of the Ikoyi Custodial Centre of the National Correctional Services until March 21, when their bail application will be heard and determined.
While the two defendants were jointly charged on three counts of conspiracy to commit felony to wit, cyberstalking, and defamation, Ajimisogbe was slammed with an additional nine counts of libel.
The police prosecutor, Nosa Uhumwangho, told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences between December 2023 and February 2024.
Uhumwangho claimed that the first defendant, through a blogging platform named ‘Postreporters’, a social network, made a report with the caption: “He is a criminal and behind all illegal acts – Ex-MFM Church singer sues founder, Daniel Olukoya, others, seeks N15.5billion in damages over illegal detention, breach of human rights”.
The prosecutor also alleged that the blogger also wrote on another social media platform, “Moment of Truth,” a social network captioned: “Daniel Olukoya the Police Pastor’ “Mountain of Police and Alagbon Ministries”, “A powerless clergy who depends on Ayoleyi Tawosetoo to deal with his perceived enemies”.
The police lawyer also informed the judge that the defendant allegedly wrote on the “Moment of the truth” on his social platform that the MFM General Oversee lies to his former RCCG Pastor to flush him out of the church and that “He doesn’t behave like a Pastor at all,” among others.
He further maintained that the offences contravened Sections 27 and 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(i) of the Cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
After pleading not guilty, the prosecutor requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) until their bail applications are determined.
On his part, the defence lawyer, Sesi Hundeyin, pleaded for a short date to file bail applications for his clients.
Hundeyin also pleaded with the court to remand the defendants in police custody until their bail applications are heard.
However, the request was vehemently opposed by the prosecutor, who stated that the police remand facilities are overstretched.
In a short ruling, Justice Lewis-Allagoa adjourned the matter to March 21 for a bail application hearing and ordered the remand of the defendants in NCoS’ custody.
