Fashola: Nigeria Police To Arraign Chike Ibezim

By Adesina Soyooye

The Nigeria Police Force has concluded arrangements to arraign Mr Chika Ibezim in Court.

He is to be arraigned on charges bordering on alleged conspiracy, criminal intimidation, cyberstalking and cyberbullying.

This follows a petition from Priory Terrace Solicitors on behalf of the immediate past Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, SAN.

According to the complaint to the Pilice, Ibezim made a false publication on his X (Former Twitter) platform on Saturday, August 5, 2023, to the effect that Fashola was drafting a controversial verdict for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Court to be delivered in favour of President Bola Tinubu.

A statement issued on September 5, 2023, by the Police, signed by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa, reads:

CASE OF CONSPIRACY, CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION, CYBERSTALKING, CYBERBULLYING: CHIKE IBEZIM COMPLICIT, TO BE ARRAIGNED ONCE COURT RESUMES

“Following a report from Priory Terrace Solicitors on behalf of Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, CON, against one Nnamdi Emmanuel Ibezim, Police Investigators from the Force Intelligence Bureau carried out intensive investigations into the complaint and discovered that the suspect made a false publication on his handle – @ReporteraNews on the social media platform ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter on Saturday 5th August, 2023, alleging that the complainant was involved in the drafting of a controversial verdict in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and that the military have been deployed to his residence to restrict movement thereby intending to cast aspersion on the person of the former Minister, contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015, which has the potential to cause harm, distress, and damage to his reputation, as well as posing great threats to national security and stability of our dear country.

“Further investigations to wit technical and tactical analysis into the phone number used for making the publication in question, it was discovered that it is registered to one Chike Ibezim. Armed with this intelligence, police investigators proceeded to the office address of the suspect in Maitama, Abuja, where Chike Ibezim was arrested, while Nnamdi Emmanuel Ibezim, and one Tope who it was alleged handles all social media correspondences are currently at large and have not honoured all invitations by the Nigeria Police Force.

“In this wise, the Nigeria Police Force wishes to state clearly that our radar is on other individuals who are involved in this case and others alike for possible arrest and prosecution. The NPF thereby warns that cyberstalking and other cyber-related unguarded utterances are criminal and capable of heating up the polity and causing chaos.

“This new trend of cyberstalking, and a massive spread of fake news should be discouraged in all manners for our collective sake, and the sake of our dear country.”