by
The Federal High Court, Abuja, agreeing with the arguments of Barrister F. Baba Isa, has discharged and acquitted frontline journalist Agba Jalingo on Cyberstalking offences preferred against him by the police. This charge was instigated by one Elizabeth Alami Ayade, the in-law of the former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade. Upon her complaint to the police, Agba Jalingo was arrested from his residence in Lagos and brought to Abuja were after detention in police custody he was arraigned at the Federal High Court.
In CHARGE NO: FHC/ABJ/CR/565/2022, Commissioner of Police vs Agba Jalingo, dated the 6th of December, 2022 and filed on the 8th of December, 2022 the following two counts were preferred against the Defendant;
COUNT 1
That you Agba Jalingo male of No. 14 Oremeji Street, Ojudu Alapere Lagos on 30th June, 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did intentionally Published Online at Cross River Watch and alleged that one Mrs. Elizabeth Ayade procured the services of one Pascal Aboh to write Nigeria Law School Examination Bar Examination for her an information you know to be false for the purpose of causing her annoyance, ill will and insult. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24 (1) b of CYBERCRIMES (PROTECTION, PREVENTION ETC) ACT, 2015.
COUNT 2
That you Agba Jalingo male of No 14 Oremeji Street, Ojudu Alapere Lagos on 30th June, 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did intentionally Published at your Facebook page known as Agba Jalingo that one Mrs Elizabeth Ayade procured the services of one Pascal Aboh to write Nigeria Law School Examination Bar Examination for her an information you know to be false for the purpose of causing her annoyance, ill will and insult. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24(1) b of CYBERCRIMES (PROTECTION, PREVENTION ETC) ACT, 2015.
To prove these counts beyond reasonable doubt, the Prosecution called three (3) witnesses, including Elizabeth Alami Ayade, the purported victim of the cyberstalking and tendered 9 documents.
Speaking to journalist after his client was discharged and acquitted of all charges by Honourable Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja based lawyer, F. Baba Isa, said, “At the close of the prosecution case, we elected to enter a no-case submission, confident that the prosecution had failed to prove elements of the offence our client was charged with. I argued this in an over 40-page document, and the court in a well-considered ruling agreed with me and discharged and acquitted my client, bringing to a close a two-year stressful trial.”
Efforts to reach the prosecution lawyer to find our if they will be appealing this decision of the Federal High were unfruitful as he did not take or return his calls.
