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The Director of Online Media of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ambrose Nwogwugwu has been arraigned before a Magistrate Court sitting in Owerri, following charges of terrorism and defamation filed against him by the Imo State government over his Facebook posts “targeted” at Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state.
The Imo government, in the charge sheet marked 0W/217c/2020, alleged the 29-year-old PDP official accused Governor Uzodinma of constructing a rural grazing area for herdsmen in the state, planning to rename Imo State University after Abba Kyari the former chief of staff to the president who died from COVID-19 complications and planning to divert N5.2 billion meant for pensioners in the state.
“That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on April 20, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly and intentionally posted on your Facebook wall through a computer network that governor Hope Uzodinma is to rename Imo state university to Abba Kyari university for helping him out in the supreme Court, which you know to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, injury, hatred, ill will and needless anxiety to the governor and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1)(a)(b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc) Act 2015,” part of the charges read.
“That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on March 23, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly published on your Facebook page that governor Hope Uzodinma has inaugurated an undercover RUGA commissioner and has made available a large expanse of land for the takeoff of the RUGA project in Ngor Okpala which act is deliberately done with malice and which is seriously intended to intimidate Imo population and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(b)(II) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011.”
The governor reportedly denied all the allegation made by Nwogwugwu in his Facebook posts between March and May 2020.
However, after the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. S E. Ibechem read out the charges on Friday June 5, counsel to the defendant made an oral application for the PDP official’s bail which was opposed by the state prosecuting counsel.
The Court adjourned date for ruling on application for bail in view of the plethora of cases cited by Nwaogwugwu’s counsel.
The case was therefore adjourned to June 19, 2020 for ruling on application for bail while the defendant would remain in the custody of the DSS until the adjourned date and ruling on bail application is delivered.
