IGP to arraign Ohakim over ‘threat to circulate nude photos’ of a lady

The office of the inspector-general of police (IGP) will on February 15 arraign Ikedi Ohakim, former governor of Imo state, over alleged harassment of one Chinyere Amuchinwa.

The former governor is to be arraigned alongside one Chinedu Okpareke before Taiwo Taiwo, federal high court judge, on a five-count charge bordering on cybercrime.

Okpareke was earlier arrested and detained in connection with the alleged offences but was released upon fulfilment of his bail conditions.

According to the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/287/2020, the accused persons were said to have threatened to release a nude photograph of Amuchienwa, if she fails to drop the charges of attempted kidnap against them.

In the charge dated November 25, 2020 and signed by M.O. Omosun, a lawyer, the police alleged that Ohakim and Okpareke “knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication through a computer system or network to harass and bully Amuchienwa”.

According to the police, the offence is punishable under Section 24(1)(a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

Some of the charges reads: ”That you Chinendu Okpareke ‘m’ 49, and Dr Ikedi Ohakim ‘m’ and others now at large on the 13th day of August 2020 within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire among yourselves by knowingly and intentionally send messages by means of computer system or network in a grossly offensive, pornographic, nude of an indecent obscene and menacing character of one Chinyere Amuchienwa ‘f’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27 (1)(a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

”That you Chinendu Okpareke ‘m’ 49, and Dr Ikedi Ohakim ‘m’ and others now at large on the 13th day of August 2020 within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire among yourselves to cause annoyance and criminal intimidation to one Chinyere Amuchienwa ‘f’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27 (1)(a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

”That you Chinendu Okpareke ‘m’ 49, and Dr Ikedi Ohakim ‘m’ and others now at large on the 13th day of August 2020 within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire among yourselves by knowingly and intentionally called and threatened one Chinyere Amuchienwa ‘f’ that if she does not drop the first information charge of attempted kidnap against by it and others at large, the nude pictures of the said  Chinyere Amuchienwa ‘f’ will be posted to CNN and all over the world and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24 (1)(a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.”

Ohakim is also standing trial before a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama on a three-count charge bordering on criminal defamation against Amuchienwa.