An Umuahia Magistrate Court in Abia State, yesterday, remanded a popular actress, Chioma Toplis in the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Afara, Umuahia for an alleged posting of malicious publications against an Umuahia based businessman and cultural chief.
The accused, a 48-year-old woman, according to the charge sheet, was alleged to have used her Facebook page to post “a malicious publication” against the businessman and Chairman of Abia State Traditional Prime Ministers Council, High Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu popularly known as BAWAS.
The charge sheet 124c/2022 alleged that Toplis used her Facebook page to tag Akwukwuegbu ” a rapist and a ritualist”.
The one count charge entitled:”Inspector General of Police vs Chioma Toplis ‘f’ aged 48″, alleged that the accused committed the offense between May 28, and 31, 2021.
The charge reads:”That you Chioma Toplis ‘f’ between the 28th and 31st of May, 2021, while residing in Nigeria, and being a social network user, and being under the Umuahia North Magisterial District and knowingly and maliciously published in your Facebook page “CHIOMA TOPLIS” the following: “Ur rapist father invited his daughter in-law (now Ex) to Nigeria without his son’s consent and slept with her”.
“You equally called him a ritualist who used his last daughter as the sacrificial lamb of the family; hence she is perpetually sick and hidden in the house. A publication which you know to be false and intended to cause annoyance, inconveniences, danger, obstruction, enmity, hatred, ill-will or needless anxiety to the person of Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu, the Chairman of Abia State Traditional Prime Ministers Council, a renowned Community Leader and business mogul, and you thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 24(b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015, as applicable in Abia State.
However, no plea was taken when the case was called up while the magistrate ordered that the case be transferred to the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for onward prosecution to the High Court. He therefore ordered that the accused be remanded at the Afara Correctional Centre, Umuahia.
The matter was adjourned till April 14, 2022 for compliance.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
