Police arraign journalist for alleged defamatory Facebook post

The Police in Bayelsa State on Monday arraigned a journalist and author Nengi Owei-Ilagha aka Pope Pen before the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, for allegedly making defamatory posts against Mr Emmanuel Chiefson on Facebook.

Chiefson is a member of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Bayelsa.

Owei-Ilagha, an author and broadcast journalist was a speech writer to two former Governors of Bayelsa and the former General Manager, Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ben Okolo, in suit No: FHC/YNG/88C/2022 before Justice Emmanuel Gakko, filed three counts against Owei-Ilagha.

The defendant Owei-Ilagha, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

His counsel, Godfrey Otiotio, moved an application for bail as the defendant earlier granted administrative bail by the Police was ready to present himself for trial.

Speaking on the application, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr M.Y. Benabo, noted that although he was not opposing the bail, the court should urge the defendant to refrain from making comments on social media that could prejudice the outcome of the case.

The defence counsel, Otiotio, pledged that he would not make comments in the media as it would amount to prejudice and would advise his client to do the same.

Ruling on the bail application, the trial judge admitted the media practitioner to bail of N1m and one surety preferably the same surety on the administrative bail earlier granted by the Police.

Gakko noted that the media has played and continued to play positive roles in society but harped on the fact that it was unlawful for the media to pre-empt the outcome of cases before the judiciary.

(Nation)