A Magistrate Court sitting in Amawbia, near Awka, the Anambra State capital, has ordered the remand of blogger and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, Ejike Ofoegbu, over allegations of criminal defamation, cyberstalking and identity theft involving Governor Chukwuma Soludo and members of his family.
Chief Magistrate C.O. Ezekwere, who presided over the matter on Monday, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre pending the conclusion of police investigations and legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The remand followed an ex parte application filed by the prosecuting counsel, A.A. Nwanri, in Suit No. M/W/3136/2026.
According to the prosecution, Ofoegbu published a series of allegedly false and defamatory reports claiming that Governor Soludo had publicly disowned his son, Ozonna; that Ozonna described his father as “a drunkard who beat my mom”; and that the governor took part in a “drinking competition” with a serving federal minister.
The prosecution alleged that the publications were false, malicious and intended to damage the reputations of the governor and his family.
It argued that the defendant’s actions constituted offences under Sections 24(1)(b) and 38 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, relating to cyberstalking, identity theft and impersonation, as well as Sections 373 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act on criminal defamation.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ezekwere directed the prosecution to compile and transmit the original police case file, together with all exhibits, to the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for legal advice.
He also ordered that the record of proceedings be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Awka.
The magistrate held that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the substantive charges and consequently declined jurisdiction over the defendant’s bail application.
“The application for bail before this court is hereby refused for want of jurisdiction,” the magistrate ruled, advising the defendant to apply for bail before the High Court of Anambra State.
The court adjourned the matter until 27 July 2026 for a report on compliance with its orders, while directing that the defendant remain in custody at the Awka Correctional Centre.
The prosecution told the court that although the defendant had previously issued a public apology and retracted the disputed publications, the apology did not extinguish any criminal liability arising from the alleged offences.
It maintained that the State was entitled to proceed with the prosecution where sufficient evidence existed to support the charges.
