A Federal High Court in Lagos convicted and sentenced Nwakaego Okoye for defaming Eniola Badmus. Okoye pleaded guilty and confessed to defaming Badmus for a promised payment of N200,000 by her friend, Fortune Ibe.
Nwakaego Okoye was convicted on Wednesday, April 3, after she pleaded guilty to the charge brought against her. She confessed to defaming Eníola Badmus because her friend, Fortune Ibe, promised to pay her N200,000. However, Justice Oweibo gave her the option to pay a fine of N150,000 instead of going to jail. The court found that her actions violated Sections 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(c) and 27 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.
Nwakaego and Chimabia were jointly charged for the offence, but it seems that Chimabia is now at large. In 2023, SERAP stated that the ECOWAS Court declared Section 24 of Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act vague, arbitrary, and unlawful. According to SERAP, the ruling stated that the Nigeria Police cannot charge anyone with cyberstalking based on the provision of Section 24.
“The ECOWAS Court has ruled (in the suit brought by SERAP) that Section 24 of Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act is vague, arbitrary, and unlawful.
“So, it is contrary to the rule of law for the police to charge anyone with supposed “cyberstalking.” Section 24 is INVALID,” SERAP stated on its Twitter page.
