Four bloggers have been remanded in prison for allegedly cyberstalking and publishing false information about Segun Agbaje, the CEO of Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC. The Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the bloggers—Precious Eze (38), Olawale Rotimi (47), Rowland Olonishu, and Seun Odunlami—to be detained at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre on Friday.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji on amended charges, which accused them of cyberstalking and spreading misinformation. According to the police, the bloggers allegedly conspired to distribute false stories via social media in August 2024. Their accusations included claims of a N1 trillion scam involving Agbaje and alleged nepotism benefiting his sister, Kofo Dosekunni.
The charges, filed by the Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos, stated that these actions were meant to insult and cause distress to Agbaje. The accusations were in violation of Section 27 of the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, as amended in 2024, and Section 24(1)(b) of the same Act.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty. While their counsel sought bail for two of the accused, the prosecution opposed granting bail to only part of the group. Justice Faji rejected the oral application for bail and requested that the defense file a formal request. The trial is set to begin on October 4, 2024.