A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has slated January 6, 2025, to rule on a bail application filed by Olamide Thomas, who allegedly threatened the president’s son, Seyi Tinubu, with death threats on social media.
The trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, fixed the date on Tuesday after T.J. Aondo, who appeared for Thomas, and the lawyer to the prosecution, Victor Okoye, made their submissions for and against the bail application.
Upon resumed hearing, Okoye told the court that the matter was slated for the hearing of the bail application and that he had filed and served his counter affidavit on the applicant’s lawyer.
Moving the bail application, Aondo said the application, dated and served December 20, is praying the court for an order admitting Olamide Thomas to bail pending the hearing and determination of the charge before preferred against him.
He urged the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms, assuring that she would not jump bail.
But Okoye, who opposed the bail application in a counter affidavit filed on December 30, prayed the court to refuse Olamide Thomas’s bail application and equally urged the court to discountenance the exhibits attached to the bail request.
He argued that the documents were extracted from the internet in contradiction with Section 84 of the Evidence Act, adding also that any newspaper publication sought to be tendered in court ought to be certified by the National Library.
“We submit that those printouts are not worth admitting as evidence,” he said, adding that Thomas claimed that she was suffering from an ailment without attaching any medical report and urged the court to discountenance the submission.
But Aondo interjected, arguing that Okoye cannot orally speak on Thomas’s ill-health, having failed to state this in their counter affidavit, and further argued that the entire affidavit filed by the prosecution did not meet the requirements of Section 115 of the Evidence Act.
He said the prosecution’s argument cannot stop the court from exercising its discretionary power under Section 6(6) of the constitution to grant his client bail and that the power of the court to admit the defendant to bail cannot even be premised on her production of a medical report, citing Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
Also citing a Supreme Court decision on the admissibility of newspaper publications, Aondo argued that an affidavit presumed to be on oath is already certified and noted that the prosecution did not raise any issue on whether the defendant will not escape if granted bail.
Aondo, therefore, prayed the court to exercise its discretionary power in favour of Thomas.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter till January 6, 2025, for ruling and hinted that the case file would be remitted back to the chief judge as the vacation judge would end on the date.
The defendant was, on December 20, arraigned and remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre after she pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge preferred against her by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) following her arrest on allegations bordering on harassing and threatening Seyi Tinubu.
The charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/636/2024 filed on December 18 by the police team of lawyers, led by A.A. Egwu, has Olamide Thomas as the sole defendant.
She was alleged in count one to have, sometime in 2024, knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in the form of a video recording through a computer system or network on her social media platforms wherein she made remarks in Yoruba Language.
In the video, she was alleged to have stated “that Mr Seyi Tinubu would die this year, and misfortune and calamity had befallen the Tinubu family, with intent to bully, threaten, harass the person of Mr Seyi Tinubu.” The communication was said to have placed Seyi in fear of death, violence or bodily harm, an offence that is contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (2) (a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
In count two, the defendant was alleged to have intentionally transmitted communication in the form of a video recording wherein she made remarks in Yoruba Language to bully, threaten, harass the person of the IGP, Mr Egbetokun.
The communication was said to have placed Egbetokun in fear of death, violence or bodily harm. The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (2) (a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
In count three, Olamide Thomas was accused of intentionally transmitting or causing the transmission of communication in the form of a video recording wherein she made remarks in Yoruba Language, stating that the children of the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, would all die before his eyes.
She was quoted to have also said that “he (Adejobi) will bury all his children in a single day, with intent to bully, threaten, harass the person of Mr Muyiwa Adejobi.” The communication was said to have placed Adejobi in fear of the death of his loved ones.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (2) (a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
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