As the trial of four bloggers charged with alleged defamation and Cyberstalking Guaranty Trust Holding Company as well as it’s Management resumed today, the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Mr Yaqob Sule informed the court that the first defendant in the case,Mr Precious Eze is a serial blackmailer .
The IPO who is the first prosecution witness In the matter made this known while testifying before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos today.
led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Chief Ajibola Aribisala, SAN, Sule told Justice Ayokunle Faji that during investigation, it was discovered that the first defendant , Precious Eze has been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos early this year and was only admitted to bail on the 31 of May only for him to commit another similar offense.
This facts was made known at the resumption of trial today after the four bloggers Precious Eze,Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami were re -arraigned on a fresh 10 counts amended charges for alleged cyberstalking and publishing false allegations through various social media outlets against GTCO, it’s management and Group CEO. Mr Segun Agbaje.
While being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Yaqob Sule told the court that on 19th September 2024 the Commissioner of Police , SFU , Ikoyi minuted a petition from GTCO legal consultant to his team and was directed to take charge of the petition as the Investigation Police Officer.
Sule said the kernel of the petition was libelous, publications, breach of peace and attempt to extort all linked to a publications.He added that as IPO he tried to open the links and saw the publications against GTCO, GTbank, the CEO, Management, the Central Bank of Nigeria among other.
He added that after the arrest of the four defendants, their statement were taken and own up of being behind the publications but confess that they did not confirm the authenticity of the story before posting it on their bloggs.Sule added that the defendants also denied asking for money before they could pull down the story.
” While investigating we discovered that the 4th defendant had registered two platforms , News joint.com and Thevission.com and that it was through the Thevission.com platform that the 4th defendant used to negotiate for fund with the GTCO legal consultant before he would pull the story down.
The witness said that during investigation, they profile the defendants and took their fingerprint for forensic analysis and find out that the first defendant had earlier been had earlier been arraigned for similar offense at Ebute -Meta Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos early in May this year and was granted bail on 31st of May this year before committing this offense again.
The defendants counsel however refused the prosecution’s attempt to tender the statements of the defendants made to the police on the ground that the statements were not voluntary made.
Consequent upon the objection, the trial judge ordered trial within trial of the case and adjourned the matter till today.
