Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, today adjourned hearing in a fresh 10 count charge against four bloggers: PRECIOUS EZE ‘M’ 38, OLAWALE ROTIMI ‘M’ 46, ROWLAND OLONISHUWA ‘M’ 43, and SEUN ODUNLAMI ‘M,’ 37 who were arraigned for the offences of Cyber Stalking against Guaranty Trust Holding Company, its Management and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
The order of the presiding Judge was sequel to plea of not guilty by the four defendants to the 10 count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit: Cyber Stalking, Conspiracy to defraud and Extortion by threats preferred against them.
They will continue to be reminded 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, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) leading Olaotan Ajose Adeogun, SAN, 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 counts 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. The Judge thereafter struck out the old charge and the new charges read to the defendants. They all pleaded not guilty to the 10 count charge.
The ten count Charge as filed before the court by Chief Ajibola Aribisala, SAN:
COUNT 1:
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)
COUNT 2:
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).
COUNT 3:
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 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).
COUNT 4:
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).
COUNT 5:
That you, Precious Eze ‘M’, Olawale Rotimi ‘M’, Rowland Olonishuwa ‘M’, Seun Odunlami ‘M’, 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 intention 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).
COUNT 6:
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 extort Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) its Management and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act,2015 (as amended).
COUNT 7:
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: 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 intention to use the allegations to affect the market value of the shares of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) by causing them to lose value considerably 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).
COUNT 8:
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 within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, 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 with the intention 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).
COUNT 9:
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).
COUNT 10:
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).
By the new dates, the prosecution is expected to have filed its proof of evidence while the defendants’ counsel will file an application for their bail.
