Police on Friday has arraigned a 19-year-old blogger, Nurenorue Surpruchi, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over allegations of cyberstalking and defamatory posts targeting the chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu
Surpruchi was brought before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cyberstalking, bullying, and defamation. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant and others still at large used a computer network on April 5 to circulate false information about Elumelu.
Prosecution counsel A.G. Obi of the Directorate of Legal Services, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, informed the court that the four-count charge had already been filed against the defendant.
After the charges were read, Surpruchi maintained his not-guilty plea.
Obi further told the court that the prosecution had only just been served with the defendant’s bail application earlier in the day and required time to respond. She therefore requested that the court remand the defendant pending the hearing of the bail application, alongside a trial date.
Defence counsel A. Edoh confirmed that the bail application had been served on the prosecution on the same day and urged the court to grant a short adjournment for proper hearing.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa subsequently adjourned the case until June 19 for hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
, Tony Elumelu){kind=link}