A 37-year-old woman, Blessing Edet, was on Tuesday docked in a Federal High Court, Abuja, for allegedly defaming the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.
Edet, who was arraigned before Justice Ahmed Mohammed by the Nigeria Police on six-count, however, pleaded not guilty.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that while the Inspector-General of Police is the complainant in charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/181/2021, Edet is the sole defendant.
The charge read, “That you, Blessing Edet, 37, of No. 18 Buchanan Crescent Wuse II, Abuja, on or before April 11, 2020, sent messages or other matter with the captioned ‘names of married women/politicians’ wives sleeping with Gov. Emmanuel loading through your Facebook page.”
Edet was also accused of sending a message with the caption “So, we are going dirty. It’s time to break the final table, stay tuned,” through her Facebook page.
Besides, she was alleged to have sent a message captioned: “That the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Agriculture, Dr Glory Edet, was the actual First Lady of Akwa Ibom, who has overthrown the real wife of the governor.”
The act, according to the charge, is offensive and constitutes an offence punishable under Section 24 (a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.
Edet pleaded not guilty to the six counts.
Justice Omotosho, who said the offence listed in the counts were bailable ones, held that Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 allowed the court to grant the bail.
“As offences are bailable offences, this court sees no reason in denying the defendant bail,” he said.
The judge, who admitted Edet to bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety in the like sum, said the surety should be a civil servant or somebody with a reasonable means of income.
Mohammed ordered Edet to, immediately after the sitting, deposit her passport with the court registry and that failure to meet the terms, she should be remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
The judge adjourned the matter till May 10 for trial.
