After spending six months in custody, four bloggers accused of cyberstalking Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Segun Agbaje, have regained their freedom.
This follows the withdrawal of criminal charges filed against them after a settlement was reached between both parties.
The Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Ayokunle Faji, formally struck out the charges after the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chief Ajibola Aribisala, informed the court that GTCO had reconsidered its stance on the matter.
The accused bloggers, Precious Eze (38), Olawale Rotimi (47), Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami, had been standing trial for alleged violations of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, specifically for spreading false information about GTCO and its CEO.
They were charged by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi-Lagos for publishing defamatory content, including allegations of financial misconduct within the bank.
However, during the court session, Chief Aribisala informed Justice Faji that both parties had agreed to an amicable resolution.
He noted that the defendants had accepted responsibility for their actions and expressed remorse.
“The Guild of Editors intervened, and the bank (GTCO) was willing to explore an amicable settlement,” Aribisala stated.
“The defendants have pledged to right the wrongs by tendering unreserved apologies in three national newspapers and have promised not to use their platforms for publishing misleading or malicious information in the future,” the SAN added.
The prosecution further disclosed that the bloggers signed a formal agreement, acknowledging their commitment to restitution and compliance with the settlement terms.
Following the prosecution’s request, defence counsel, A. O. Afolabi, confirmed that his clients had willingly signed the settlement agreement and had no objections to the withdrawal of the charges.
After hearing both sides, Justice Faji approved the agreement, instructing that all parties must comply with the deed of settlement.
He then formally struck out the case, allowing the bloggers to regain their freedom.
The bloggers were arrested and charged in September 2024 under an amended charge that accused them of conspiring to commit cyberstalking.
According to the police, the defendants allegedly circulated false and damaging reports about GTCO and its CEO, claiming that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) raided GTBank over an alleged N1 trillion fraud linked to Segun Agbaje, and Whistleblowers had exposed nepotism and financial misconduct involving Mr Agbaje and his sister, Kofo Dosekunni.
The prosecution argued that these publications were aimed at insulting, intimidating, and causing reputational harm to GTCO’s CEO.
The charges were based on Section 24(1)(b) and Section 27 of the Cybercrimes Act (as amended in 2024), which criminalizes false online publications that cause distress or harm.
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