The Police in Benue, on Tuesday, arraigned one Hassan Rayyamu before a Makurdi Upper Area Court 2b over alleged criminal conspiracy, cyber stalking, injurious falsehood and defamation of character.
The Police Prosecutor, Insp Rachel Mchiave, told the court that one Alhaji Mohammed Isa, of 4, Niger Crescent, Makurdi, had, on Sept. 11, submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Benue over the matter.
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.
She said that the defendant and others made injurious, defamatory and tarnishing utterances against the complainant by calling him a fraudster, an AIDS victim, vandal of rail lines, infidel and son of a drunkard.
The police prosecutor added that they also claimed that the defendant was having numerous criminal cases with the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the court, amongst others.
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.
According to her, the offences contravene Sections 97, 394 and 393 of the Penal Code, Law of Benue, 2004 as well as Section 24(a) and (b) of Cyber Crime Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015.
Mchiave said that investigation into the matter was still ongoing and requested for 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 Makurdi correction center and adjourned the case till Oct. 7 for further mention.
