A Magistrate Court sitting in Amawbia, near Awka, the Anambra State capital, has ordered the remand of a blogger and publisher, Ejike Ofoegbu, over alleged criminal defamation of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, members of his family and his son, Ozonna.
Ofoegbu, the publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, is facing a three-count charge bordering on identity theft, cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
Chief Magistrate C.O. Ezekwere ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre following an ex parte application filed by the prosecution pending the conclusion of police investigations and legal advice from the Anambra State Ministry of Justice.
The application was moved by prosecuting counsel, A.A. Nwanri, in Suit No. M/W/3136/2026. Also present in court were the Chief Security Officer to the Governor, O.K. Nkuma, and Inspector Tochukwu Echemagu of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka.
According to the prosecution, the defendant published a series of false and defamatory reports, including claims that Governor Soludo publicly disowned his son, that Ozonna described his father as “a drunkard who beat my mum,” and that the governor participated in a drinking competition with a serving federal minister.
The prosecution argued that the publications were false, malicious and intended to damage the reputation and public image of the governor and his family.
It further maintained that the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, as amended in 2024, particularly those relating to cyberstalking, identity theft and impersonation, as well as relevant sections of the Criminal Code dealing with criminal defamation.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ezekwere directed that the original police case file, exhibits and records of proceedings be transmitted to the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions, for legal advice.
The court held that it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the substantive charges and consequently declined to consider the defendant’s bail application.
The magistrate advised the defendant to approach the Anambra State High Court for bail and adjourned the matter to July 27, 2026, for a report on compliance with the court’s directives.
Although the defendant had earlier issued a public apology and retracted the disputed publications, the prosecution insisted that the apology did not extinguish any criminal liability arising from the alleged offences and therefore could not prevent the State from pursuing the case.
