An Akwa Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded online publisher Ejike Ofoegbu over fabricated, defamatory stories targeting Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his immediate family.
A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Awka on Monday remanded a prominent online publisher and blogger, Ejike Ofoegbu, following his arraignment over deeply defamatory and hostile publications targeting the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and members of his immediate family.
Ofoegbu, who operates the digital platforms Igbo Times Magazine and INews, appeared before Chief Magistrate C.O. Ezekwere, who subsequently ordered that the case file be officially transmitted to the Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice for further action.
Magistrate Ezekwere explicitly advised the accused blogger to approach the High Court in Awka to seek bail, clarifying that the Magistrate Court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to entertain or grant bail on the severe charges leveled against him. The court then adjourned the matter until July 27, 2026, to receive a formal report of compliance regarding the transfer of the case file.
During the arraignment, the complainant was formally represented by legal counsel Mr. A.A. Nwanri alongside the Chief Security Officer to the Governor, Mr. O.K. Nkuma. The Prosecution Counsel, Inspector Tochukwu Echemagu of the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka, informed the court that Ofoegbu faced a multi-count charge encompassing identity theft, criminal defamation, and cyberstalking.
The prosecution further detailed that the defendant willfully created, curated, and widely disseminated highly sensationalized, fabricated, and defamatory news articles specifically designed to attack the governor’s reputation.
According to the police, the blogger’s primary motive was to aggressively drive digital traffic to his commercial websites and generate substantial financial returns through ad revenue and online clicks.
Specifically, the police alleged that the malicious publications falsely claimed Governor Soludo had formally disowned his son, Ozonna.
The fabricated reports went as far as quoting the son describing his father as a habitual drunkard who physically abused his mother, while additionally conjuring up a fictitious, highly embarrassing drinking competition involving the governor and a serving minister.
Although the prosecution acknowledged that Ofoegbu had previously issued a formal public apology and a complete retraction across his digital channels upon realizing the legal implications of his actions, the state maintained that he must still face full prosecution to deter digital blackmail. The police emphasized that his actions directly violated Sections 24(1)(b) and 38 of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act of 2015, alongside Sections 373 and 375 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which carry stringent prison sentences for online harassment.
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