Court Remands Journalists Over False Report, Cyberstalking Of GTCO CEO

Justice Ayokule Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has remanded four journalists at the Ikoyi facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service Centre over allegations of spreading false information aimed at insulting the chief executive officer of Guaranty Trust Holding PLC, Segun Agbaje.

Justice Faji ordered that the journalists Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishu and Seun Odunlami be kept behind bars after they were arraigned before him on a two-count charge of cyberstalking and spreading false information by the Police.

The Special Fraud Unit, Milverton of the Lagos State Police Command had told the judge that the defendants sometime in August 2024 in Lagos, conspired to commit a felony, to wit, cyberstalking and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended in 2024.

The police prosecutor, Emmanuel Jackson, also claimed that the defendants knowingly sent false messages or publications on social media, through a computer or network to the general public as follows: “ EFCC, FRI’s storms GTBanks over Segun Agbaje’s N1 trillion scam” and “Whistle Blowers expose Segun Agbaje Nepotism, Power Play, Enrich Him and Sister, Kofo Dosekunni” among other publications to insult the group chief executive officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC, Mr Segun Agbaje or to cause criminal intimidation, annoyance, ill-will, needless anxiety, injury or hatred to him and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition/Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended in 2024.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge, a development that made the prosecutor to urge the court to fix a trial date and their remand at the Nigeria Correctional Service Centre pending trial.

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However, the defence counsel, Ade Afolabi, asked the court to permit him to move bail applications on behalf of two of the defendants.

Jackson however objected to the move, stating that since it is a joint trial, the defence cannot move bail applications for two of the four defendants.

Also, attempts by Afolabi to move an oral bail application on behalf of the defendants were refused by the court, on the ground that the lawyer must file a proper bail application that the prosecution would respond to if they so wished.

Justice Faji has adjourned the case to October 4 for the commencement of the trial.