By Chuks Eke
The Federal High Court, FHC sitting at Awka, Anambra state capital, presided over by Justice B. M. K. Mohammed has adjourned hearing to September 24, this year in a two-court defamatory charge brought by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP against one Ikenna Ezeume, an Awka based ibusinessman.
IGP is bringing the charge against Ezeume for allegedly making some defamatory statements against one Barrister Jideofor Okongwu, the nominal complainant and one-time Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Anaocha branch, one of the eight branches of NBA in Anambra state.
The adjournment followed an application by the defence counsel, A. C. Nwogbo praying the court to give the defendant, Ezeume some time to recover from his sickness and appear in court for formal arraignment and taking of his plea.
When the case was called up on Wednesday, the defense counsel tendered a medical report fron a hospital informing the court that the defendant is currently receiving medical attention from a hospital.
In the Charge No. FHC/AWK/107c/2025, dated May 7, this year and signed by a police prosecution counsel, A. G. Obi Esq, from the Legal Department, Anambra State Criminal Investigations Department, CID, Awka, the prosecution alleged that the defendant had between February and March, this year, defamed Barrister Jideofor Okongwu, the nominal complainant in this charge.
Count one of the Charge read in part: “That you Ikenna Ezeume of Road 2, Plot 2, Greenville Estate, Awka within Awka Judicial Dision, did knowingly or intentionally publish a defamatory vioce record/statement vide two WhatsApp social platforms tagged: “People’s Forum and Enugwu Village Forum”.
The prosecution stated that in the forums, the defendant wherein said: “That one Barrister Jideofor Okongwu did not obtain the requisite qualifications to gain admission into the Nigerian Law School but rather through fraudulent means and as such does not qualify to practice as a legal practitioner”.
The prosecution further stated: ‘This is a statement which you knew to be false and has injured the reputation of the said Barrister Jideofor Okongwu before the right-thinking members of the aforementioned WhatsApp groups and also the public which have also placed him in fears of imminent possible attack”.
Count two of the charge also read as follows: “That you Ikenna Ezeume of the above mentioned address had between the same period and within the same jurisdiction of the court, did knowingly or intentionally publish the defamatory vioce record/statement to social media vide your Facebook tagged: “Ikenna Ezeume”.
The charge further read: “Wherein you said: “that one Barrister Jideofor Okongwu did not obtain requisite qualifications to gain admission into the Delta State University and that he gained the admission into the Nigerian Law School through fraudulent means and as such does not qualify to practice as a legal practitioner, a statement which you knew to be false and has injured the reputation of the said Barrister Jideofor Okongwu before the right-thinking members of the public which have also placed him in fear of imminent possible attack”.
“You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24(2)(a) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Protection, etc) Act. 2015 (As Amended 2024)”, the prosecution stated.
