3rd October, 2023
By Emmanuel Antswen
One Hassan Rayyamu has been docked before a Makurdi Upper Area Court, Benue State, over a Facebook post labelling one Alhaji Mohammed Isa a fraudster, an AIDS victim, vandal of rail lines, infidel and son of a drunkard.
Rayyamu, who allegedly made the post alongside others was also accused of writing that Isa was having numerous criminal cases with the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the court, amongst others on his Facebook page.
The Police Prosecutor, Insp Rachel Mchiave, told the court that one Isa, of 4, Niger Crescent, Makurdi, had, on Sept. 11, submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Benue over the matter.
She said that the integrity, dignity and reputation of the complainant and that of his family had been tarnished within the community, the state and the world at large by the post of Rayyamu and his cohorts.
The prosecutor said that it was during police investigation that Rayyamu was arrested and that he voluntarily confessed to the crime, while his cohorts were still at large.
Mchiave said that the complainant stated that on Sept. 9, his attention was drawn to a post on Facebook, authored by Rayyamu and others, all of 42, Port Harcourt street, Wadata, Makurdi.
According to her, the offences contravene Sections 97, 394 and 393 of the Penal Code, Law of Benue, 2004 as well as Sections 24(a) and (b) of Cyber Crime Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015.
Mchiave said that the investigation into the matter was still ongoing and requested additional time to complete it.
However, when the case came up for mention, no plea was taken for want of jurisdiction.
The Magistrate, Mrs Dooshima Ikpambese, remanded the defendant in the Makurdi correction centre and adjourned the case till Oct. 7 for further mention. (NAN)