By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
Mr. Ejike Ofoegbu, publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and I News, was arraigned today around 11 am at Court 1 of Amawbia Magistrate Court, Anambra State. Last week, Ejike published three totally false and fabricated stories against the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, and his family. Before last week, Ejike had hidden behind keypads for years to deliberately misinform the public and harm people’s reputations. He has, for years, hidden behind keypads to support criminal agitators in the Southeast.
Today, he was arraigned on counts of criminal defamation, cyber stalking, and other Cybercrime Act-related offenses. The prosecution led by A. A Nwaneri, Esq, applied for him to be remanded in Awka Correctional Centre. Accordingly, the prosecution entered two witnesses: CSP O. K Nkuma and Inspector Toochukwu Echemazu. Both were called forward by the Chief Magistrate, His Worship, O.C Ezekwere, Esq, to give the court a sense of what transpired. The defendant’s lawyer, I. C Machie, Esq, was later admitted by the Magistrate to make his presentation, although he was reminded that he ought not to be heard but only seen. Finally, the Magistrate also gave Ejike Ofoegbu the chance to explain why he should not be remanded in custody. In the end, the Magistrate ruled that “Bail is hereby refused,” while also directing that the “Case is adjourned to 27th June, 2026, for report of compliance,” with submitting the case file and exhibits to the Attorney General to continue with the case at the High Court, which is the rightful trial court, or dismiss the case.
Interestingly, Ejike appeared humble with the entirety of his frailty as a mortal, and with no keypads and screens to hide behind. He was acting weak and subdued by his sudden realization that the day of reckoning had come. Although his trial was yet to commence, he was already given a chance to speak for himself and explain why he should not be remanded, but he could not convince the Magistrate. But this was the same Ejike who simply published any false story he liked about his victims without making any effort to hear from them. Looking at Ejike, it would be impossible for anyone to assume that such a calm-looking, slim man would be so bold as to concoct false stories he publishes on his blog, which are shared across his social media platforms. For years, Ejike hid behind his screens to defame and indict innocent people who often became the object of public ridicule and condemnation, while he smiled to the bank to claim his royalties from people’s misery.
As he stood humbled, yet apparently unknown to him that perhaps, if Professor Charles Soludo were not a democrat, he may never have had the opportunity to defend himself in the court. Ejike’s willful fabrication of fake stories against Governor Soludo and his family for absolutely no reason was never an innocent error. It was a targeted campaign of calumny and merchandising from peddling complete fake stories, which is a niche Ejike had carved for himself. No society should allow such deliberate attack on facts to go unpunished.
One of the many lessons from the trail of Ejike Ofoegbu, a serial fake news peddler, is that social media users must take responsibility and endeavour to hold themselves accountable by ensuring that what they put out is something they can support with evidence. Even more, Ejike was reported to have been tracked to his location and arrested. He did not turn himself in; instead, extra efforts were made to locate and arrest him. If Professor Soludo were not a democrat, Ejike could have been taken out of circulation and locked away for a long time without any judicial process. This is a regular occurrence in Nigeria where governors lock up critics without trial, how much more a man who has deliberately defamed a serving Governor and his family. In this country, a journalist and critic known as Dadiyata sadly disappeared, but not for defaming anyone, and for nearly seven years, he remained missing to the shock and frustration of many Nigerians. There is a long list of people who disappeared in this manner for holding a legitimate opposite view to that of those in government. But Ejike fabricated fake stories against Professor Soludo and his family, and upon his arrest, he was arraigned in an open court, given a fair hearing on the application for him to be remanded, and was fairly and judiciously remanded. If Soludo were not a democrat, perhaps Ejike might be locked away in a guardroom somewhere for as long as possible. The other option that Soludo would have utilized was to take his blog and social media accounts down permanently. Yet, he chose the most inconvenient option of arraigning him with dignity as a citizen of Nigeria.
Indeed, the best way to strengthen our democracy is for powerful people to allow the State to defend itself when challenged by those who wish to test the will power of the state in enforcing rights and remedying wrongs within its sphere of authority. This is what Nigerian ruling elites should do without exception. Our elites must show faith in our system and be confident enough to put the system to the test and allow the State to defend itself and punish offenders. This is what Soludo has done as a democrat.
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