
Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered an expedited trial for four bloggers accused of defaming and cyberstalking the management of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), including its Group CEO, Mr. Segun Agbaje. The defendants—Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami—are facing 10 amended charges for allegedly publishing false information about the company on various social media platforms.
At the hearing on November 13th and 14th, Justice Faji dismissed the defendants’ bail applications, citing the serious nature of the charges, which could result in up to 14 years in prison. He also noted that one of the accused, Precious Eze, has a history of committing similar offenses. Eze, currently facing similar charges in another court, was out on bail when the alleged cyberstalking of GTCO occurred, suggesting a pattern of repeated offenses.
The judge further emphasized the destabilizing impact the defendants’ actions could have on the banking sector, particularly as some of the charges involve cross-border online activity.
In response to the bail denial, defense counsel Afolabi Adeniyi argued that the accused should be granted bail on liberal terms, stressing the bailable nature of the charges and the defendants’ willingness to face trial. However, prosecution counsel Chief Aribisala, SAN, opposed the request, citing the risk of the defendants absconding and urging an expedited trial.
In his ruling, Justice Faji rejected the bail application, underlining the gravity of the charges and the potential harm to the banking industry’s reputation, especially considering the involvement of regulatory bodies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which had approved GTCO’s audited statements. The trial is set to continue on December 10th and 12th.