On Friday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Federal High Court granted Chioma Okoli bail in the sum of N5 million, with two sureties required in like amount. One of the sureties must be the defendant’s spouse or a close relative with a verifiable source of income, residing within the court’s jurisdiction. Additionally, the sureties are to provide passport photographs, and Okoli must submit her international passport if she has one.
Okoli faces two charges related to cybercrime, stemming from a Facebook post on September 17, 2023, where she criticized Erisco Foods Limited’s Nagiko Tomato Mix, describing it as overly sugary. She mentioned that she usually purchased Gino or Sonia brands but found them out of stock on that occasion. The post elicited significant reactions, prompting Erisco Foods to file a petition with the Inspector-General of Police. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) subsequently investigated the product’s registration and conducted an overall inspection of Erisco Foods’ Nagiko Tomato Mix.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed with the defense counsel, Inibehe Effiong, that the charges against Okoli were bailable. He emphasized that under Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. He also noted that denying bail would be an improper exercise of discretion, amounting to a pre-trial judgment and judicial misconduct. Considering Okoli’s health status, the judge granted the bail request and adjourned the case to June 13 for further hearing.
During the arraignment on Tuesday, Okoli pleaded not guilty to all charges. The judge ordered her remand until today to decide on her bail application. Prosecutor Abdulrashid Sidi had urged the court to deny the bail application, citing concerns that Okoli might flee, referencing her previous failure to adhere to administrative bail conditions.
