Ten members of the Lagos branch of the Ogidi Union, Anambra State, were on Monday arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged cyberstalking, criminal conspiracy, and threats against a fellow union member.
The defendants, eight women and two men, aged between 37 and 65, were accused of using a WhatsApp group platform of the women’s wing of the union to send offensive, threatening, and defamatory messages targeting Mrs. Uju Patricia Ibegbu.
Those arraigned include Onyeka Udemezue, Uchenna Mbelu, Obiageli Stella Obiakor, Ogochukwu Okeke, Nkechi Okudo, Ifeoma Ikechukwu Udoh, Eucharia Agbogu, Lizzy Obianyo, Ogochukwu Agbogu, and Elochukwu Abada Okoye.
At the arraignment, L.S. Oju appeared for the prosecution on behalf of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Ikoyi, Lagos, while Dan C. Okoye led a team of lawyers in defence of all ten accused persons.
The police prosecutor Oju told the court that the messages, allegedly circulated between 2023 and 2024, reportedly caused reputational harm and placed the victim in fear of death, violence, and bodily harm.
The court heard that the amended five-count charge against the defendants was filed on July 1, 2025. After the charges were read, all ten defendants pleaded not guilty.
According to the prosecutor the offences committed contravened Sections 24(1)(a) and (b), 24(2)(a)(i), 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.)Act 2015, and Section 518(2) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38, Laws of the Federation, 2024.
Following the plea, defence counsel, Dan C. Okoye, informed the court that bail applications had already been filed and served on the prosecution. The prosecution confirmed receipt and raised no objection.
Okoye subsequently moved the bail application, supported by affidavits deposed to by each defendant and accompanied by relevant documents, including a letter from the nominal complainant’s solicitor to the police.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Aneke ruled that he would need time to review the bail request but granted temporary release of the defendants.
They were released to Mr. Columbus Obiemeka Okaro, a retired Commissioner of Police (Legal) and a native of Ogidi, as well as to their lead counsel, on the condition that they appear in court on Friday, July 18, for the ruling on the bail application.
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