Court remands man over ‘defamatory’ publication against Alia’s aide

A chief magistrates’ court in Markurdi has ordered the remand of 37-year-old Uchena Mojekwu for allegedly defaming the character of Dennis Akura, an aide to Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue.

Akura is the special adviser to the governor on the bureau for local government and chieftaincy affairs.

Mojekwu is charged with criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking and defamation of character.

At the court session on Thursday, Kelvin Mbanongun, the presiding chief magistrate, did not take Mojekwu’s plea for want of jurisdiction.

Mbanongun ordered that the accused person should be remanded in a correctional centre and adjourned the matter until June 17 for further mention.

Earlier, Godwin Ato, the prosecutor, told the court that a petition was addressed to the Benue commissioner of police on March 8 by Akura.

Ato said the petition stated that on February 20, Mojekwu, operating under the auspices of Global Integrity Crusade Network authorised a petition addressed to the chairman of the Economic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC) and circulated the same on Facebook and WhatsApp.

Ato added that Mojekwu in the petition accused the complainant of supervising the outright embezzlement and diversion of over N20 million being part of aggregate federal accounts allocation committee to the 23 local government councils between June and November 2023, using individual and private companies.

The complainant said his attention was drawn to the petition posted on Mojekwu’s timeline on February 28.

He said the offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 97 and 310 of the Penal Code Law of Benue, 2004 and 24 (a)(b) (2)(a}(b)(c) Cyber Crimes Prohibition Act, 2015.