A Bayelsa-based blogger, Bara Ogidi, charged with cyberstalking, was on Friday admitted to N5million bail at a Federal High Court in Yenagoa.
The State Security Service (SSS) arraigned Mr Ogidi over an alleged false report targeted at the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote.
Mr Ogidi, a publisher of an online new media, Tracknews, is facing a two-count charge of cyberstalking.
Ruling on the bail application filed by Mr Ogidi’s counsel, Temedie Great, the judge, Isa Dashen, ordered that the surety must be a “responsible citizen” who lives and owns landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
He further ordered that in the alternative, if the surety is a civil servant, the surety must not be below the rank of a director.
The judge adjourned the case until July 25 for continuation of trial and ruled that the defendant should remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Okaka in Yenagoa.
The SSS told the court that Mr Ogidi accused Mr Wabote of offering him N10 million to lure him to testify in his favour in a defamation suit filed by the NCDMB Executive Secretary against Jackson Ude, the publisher of Pointblanknews.
The charge read:
“Count 1 “CYBERSTALKING, contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1)b of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015.”
“You OGIDI BEN BARA on Feb. 11, caused a false information to be disseminated via various online newspaper outfits including “THE EAGLE ONLINE”
The SSS said the publication caused annoyance, enmity, hatred and ill-will towards Mr Wabote.
The offence of cyberstalking is contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1)b of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015, the SSS said.
(NAN)
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