Chude Nnamdi, a well-known social media influencer, has been granted bail in the sum of ₦10 million by the Federal High Court. The bail was granted in relation to a cyberstalking case brought against him by Dr. Emeka Offor. Nnamdi appeared before Justice Gladys Olotu on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of cyberstalking.
The charge against Nnamdi, which was filed on April 17 and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/130/2023, alleged that on March 13, he knowingly and intentionally sent a message via a tweet from his Twitter handle "Chude" using a computer system and network. The police accused him of sending a message that he knew to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to Dr. Emeka Offor, thereby committing cyberstalking punishable under Section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) ACT, 2015.
During the arraignment, the prosecuting counsel, Victor Okoye, informed the court that he had an amended charge to present. Okoye orally requested to substitute the initial charge, which was filed in March, with the present charge. However, Gabriel Chikwado-Eze, Nnamdi's lawyer, opposed the request, stating that Okoye could not arraign Nnamdi with the fresh charge since they had not been served with the charge. Chikwado-Eze argued that Okoye could not amend a non-existent charge if the existing charge had not been served on them. Okoye disagreed, saying that Nnamdi had never been arraigned before.
The court granted the application and Nnamdi pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge. The prosecutor requested that Nnamdi be remanded in prison pending the conclusion of the trial, but Chikwado-Eze objected on the ground that the offence was bailable under the law, and Nnamdi had not flouted his administrative bail conditions.
Chikwado-Eze urged the court to grant Nnamdi bail, and the judge admitted Nnamdi to a ₦10 million bail with a surety who must depose to an affidavit of means. The court also required Nnamdi to provide one surety who must either be a level 14 civil servant or a resident of the FCT with verified landed property. The judge adjourned the matter until May 17 for the trial.
