Alleged Defamation: Anambra Businessman Remanded In Prison Custody Until April 27  Bail Hearing

By Chuks Eke—

A Federal High Court No. 2 in Awka, Anambra State, presided over by Justice B.M.K. Mohammed, on Tuesday, April 22, remanded an Awka-based businessman, Ikenna Ezeume, at the Awka Correctional Center until April 27, when his bail application and supporting affidavit will be heard.

Justice Mohammed issued the remand order immediately after a two-count charge of defamation of character, preferred against him by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), was read. Ezeume pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court stated that it would hear both the motion for bail, filed by the defense counsel, A.C. Mogbo Esq., and the counter-affidavit filed by the police prosecution counsel, O.O. Ayogu, on Monday, April 27, to determine whether to grant him bail.

The police prosecution alleges that Ezeume made defamatory statements against Barrister Jideofor Okongwu, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Anaocha Branch.

The charge had been brought against him on two occasions last year and once this year, but could not be read due to his absence. His defense counsel, A.C. Mogbo, had previously submitted a medical report stating that Ezeume was hospitalized and unable to attend court due to illness.

The charge, No. FHC/AWK/107c/2025, dated May 7, 2025, was signed by police prosecution counsel A.C. Obi from the Legal Department of the Anambra State Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Awka. The prosecution alleges that Ezeume published defamatory voice notes via social media between February and March 2025.

In the first count, the prosecution claims that Ezeume knowingly published a defamatory audio message on two WhatsApp forums – Peoples’ Forum and Enugwu Village Forum – alleging that Barrister Okongwu gained admission to the Nigerian Law School through fraudulent means and was unqualified to practice law.

The prosecution argues that this statement was false and damaging to Okongwu’s reputation among forum members and the general public and placed him in fear of potential physical attack.

The second count involves similar allegations published on Ezeume’s Facebook page. The prosecution also claims that Ezeume falsely stated that Okongwu fraudulently secured admission into Delta State University, thereby questioning the legitimacy of his legal qualifications, adding that these publications were knowingly false and injurious to Okongwu’s character.

The offense, the prosecution states, is contrary to Section 24(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes Prevention Act (2015, as amended in 2024), which deals with the intentional transmission of false information that harms another’s reputation.