The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday remanded a social media influencer Blessing Okoro aka “Blessing CEO” following her arraignment by the police for alleged Cyber-bullying.
Justice Yelim Bogoro remanded the blogger and self-proclaimed relationship/mental expert in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till May 30 for hearing of her bail application.
The police arraigned the defendant on a six-count charge of alleged cyber-bullying, libel and for exhibiting uncensored movies.
Prosecution counsel Rotshang Faith Dimka of the Force Headquarters, Abuja, said Okoro of Lekki, Lagos, on October 16, 2022, “intentionally sent messages using her Instagram handle @officialblessingceo to bully, threaten and harass one Folashade Samuels, a.k.a Mamajazz, a younger sister to the late Bimbo Ogbonna.”
The blogger was also accused of using her Instagram handle @officialblessingceo, to injure the reputation of Folashade Samuels and the late Bimbo Ogbonna, by exposing them to hatred, contempt and ridicule.
The police further accused her of exhibiting a film and video work titled “Sweet Sour” without a censorship certificate and without holding a licence as issued by National Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB).
According to the police, some of the messages allegedly sent by the defendant included: “Let’s ask Mamajazz where her father is??? Their father had exactly the same issue with their mother Ebele and he ran away for us (sic) dear life. IVD’s crime was that he was not man enough to run… ”
“The family of late Bimbo is after IVD’’s properties and life. Especially her elder sister Mamajazz. Bimbo and IVD are well-known people in Lagos and it’s not a hidden fact that even in their estate that Bimbo is violent. Everybody knows how she breaks a bottle on her husband’s head on a daily .. Bimbo killed herself and has always wanted to kill herself right from childhood. Evidence loading. All the voice notes and evidence will be on my YouTube and Facebook. Subscribe,”
“I will ask Mamajazz, the late Bimbo’s sister few questions…where (sic) you in (sic) talking terms with your sister before (she) died? Are you owing your late sister 18 million? Did she block you before her death? Do you even like your sisters’ children?? Answers this question because | will slam the internet with raw facts and evidence.”
“I am stepping into the case as the official relationship therapist of IVD… Will drop all the evidence that IVD did not kill his wife or even hurt her. The late Bimbo was the violent person and suicidal victim…”
The defendant’s actions, according to the police, contravened Section 24 (2)(a)(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, and Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
They also contravened Section 33 of the NFVCB Act, 2004.
Okoro pleaded not guilty.
The late Bimbo, the wife of a Lagos celebrity auto dealer Ikechukwu Ogbonna, popularly known as IVD, died last year in a fire incident at their residence in Lekki.
Ogbonna, 37, is on trial at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja in connection with her death.
The defendant was arraigned on a one-count charge of involuntary manslaughter in suit No LD/21055C/23 preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.
