By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
Abuja—The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the detention of a lawyer, Ahmed Abdulrahman, and four others arraigned for allegedly cyberbullying a serving senator, Shehu Umar.
Justice Rita Offili-Ajumogobia, who gave the order, directed that the defendants be remanded at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Area 10, Abuja, until November 10, pending the determination of their bail applications.
Other defendants in the charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, are Daure David, Ishaq Muhammed, Abdulrashid Musa, and Nasiru Abubakar. They were accused of blackmailing Senator Umar, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence. The 11-count charge against them borders on cyberbullying, advance fee fraud, and extortion.
All the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them in open court.
Following their plea, defence counsel, Mr. Affis Matanmi, urged the court to grant them bail, drawing the judge’s attention to the fact that the first defendant is a legal practitioner and solicitor of the Supreme Court.
Stressing that the charges contained bailable offences, Matanmi argued that his clients would not interfere with the trial or attempt to influence witnesses. He further noted that the police had earlier granted administrative bail to the first defendant, adding that, as a lawyer, he understood the consequences of jumping bail.
However, prosecution counsel, Mr. Victor Okoye, opposed the bail application.
He told the court that shortly after the lawyer was granted administrative bail, he became involved in two other cyberbullying cases and featured prominently in five of the 11 counts now before the court.
Okoye argued that although the first defendant is a confirmed legal practitioner, he does not deserve any preferential treatment, as neither the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, nor the 1999 Constitution (as amended) grants any special privilege to lawyers accused of criminal offences.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Ajumogobia ordered that the defendants be remanded at the FCID. She also directed the defence counsel to file a further affidavit and a reply on points of law to address the “weighty allegations” contained in the prosecution’s counter-affidavit.
The post Court orders detention of lawyer, 4 others for cyberbullying, extortion appeared first on Vanguard News.
