Mr. Rotimi Jolayemi, aka Oba Akewi, a journalist, was charged to court by the Nigeria Police Force accused of allegedly acting in a manner that can cause ‘annoyance’ and ‘hatred’ for the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, after spending 17 days incommunicado in detention.
The police alleged in the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CB/104/2020 signed byJoseph Offor, the Prosecuting Counsel, Prosecution Section, that Jolayemi on April 14, 2020, shared an audio file in a Whatsapp group which subsequently went viral.
The police said the act contravened Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015.
The charge reads, “That you, Jolayemi Oba Akewi, male, aged 43 years on or about the 14th day of April 2020 at Osolo Compound EKanNla, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did send an audio message through your android phone device to a group Whatsapp platform known as ‘Ekan Sons and Daughters’ and which went viral immediately after it was posted for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, hatred and ill will to the current Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.”
