Agba Jalingo

A judge in the Federal High Court in Abuja Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar has denied embattled journalist Agba Jalingo bail.

Jalingo, who has been on trial for alleged cybercrime, has therefore been remanded in Kuje prison till Thursday.

The Punch reported that Justice Abubakar allegedly denied Jalingo’s lawyers the opportunity to move a motion for bail after he was arraigned for cyberstalking.

Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22, 2019, over a report alleging that Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, diverted N500 million belonging to the state.

Jalingo was accused of defaming Elizabeth Ayade, the wife of Frank Ayade, who is a brother of Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade.

Sahara Reporters published.a court
document it had obtained. According to the document, which was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 6, 2022, the police claimed the publication by the journalist against Elizabeth was false and was released for the purpose of causing her annoyance, ill will, and insult.

The charge sheet read, “That you Agba Jalingo male of No.14 Oremeji Street, Ojudu Alapere Lagos on 30th June, 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did intentionally publish online at Cross River Watch and alleged that one Mrs Elizabeth Ayade procured the services of one Pascal Aboh to write Nigeria Law School Examination Bar Examination for her, information you know to be false for the purpose of causing her annoyance, ill will and insult. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24(1) b of CYBERCRIMES (PROTECTION, PREVENTION ETC) ACT, 2015.

“That you Agba Jalingo male of No.14 Oremeji Street, Ojudu Alapere Lagos on 30th June, 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did intentionally published on your Facebook page known as Agba Jalingo that one Mrs Elizabeth Ayade procured the services of one Pascal Aboh to write Nigeria Law School Examination Bar Examination for her, information you know to be false for the purpose of causing her annoyance, ill will and insult. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24(1) b of CYBERCRIMES (PROTECTION, PREVENTION ETC) ACT, 2015.”

One Paschal Aboh, a suspended law lecturer at the University of Calabar, was nabbed and arrested for impersonating and re-taking an examination for a student at the school.

The lecturer was suspected to have taken the examination for Elizabeth.