Yaqob Sale, the Investigating Police Officer in the case of alleged defamation of Guaranty Trust Corporation and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, has told the court that the first defendant in the case, Precious Eze, is a serial blackmailer.
The Prosecution Witness 1 said this when he testified before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Thursday.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Chief Ajibola Aribisala (SAN), Sule told Justice Faji that during the investigation, it was discovered that Eze had been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos earlier this year and was only admitted to bail on May 31 only for him to commit a similar offence.
The IPO spoke after Eze and three other bloggers: Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami, were re-arraigned on a fresh 10 counts amended charges for alleged cyberstalking and publishing false allegations through various social media outlets against GTCO, its management, and Agbaje.
While being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Sule told the court that on September 19, 2024, the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos minuted a petition from GTCO legal consultant to his team and was directed to take charge of the petition as the Investigation Police Officer.
He said the kernel of the petition was libelous publications, breach of peace, and an attempt to extort, all linked to the publications.
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He added that as an IPO, he tried to open the links and saw the publications against GTCO, GTBank, the CEO, Management, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, among others.
He added that after the arrest of the four defendants, their statements were taken.
They owned up to being behind the publications, but confessed that they did not confirm the story’s authenticity before posting it on their blogs.
Sule added that the defendants also denied asking for money before they could pull down the story.
He said: “While investigating, we discovered that the 4th defendant had registered two platforms: Newsjaunts.com and Thevision.com, and that it was through the Thevision.com platform that he used to negotiate for funds with the GTCO legal consultant before he would pull the story down.”
The witness said that during the investigation, they profiled the defendants and took their fingerprints for forensic analysis and found out that the first defendant had earlier been arraigned for a similar offence at Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos in May this year and was granted bail on May 31 this year before allegedly committing the offence again.
The defendants’ counsel however refused the prosecution’s attempt to tender the
statements of the defendants made to the police on the ground that the statements were not voluntarily made.
Consequent upon the objection, the trial judge ordered a trial within the trial of the case and adjourned the matter till Friday (today).
It will be recalled that the Body of Bank CEOs recently issued a statement expressing concern over the persistent and unwarranted attacks on social media directed at Nigerian banks.
It noted that the Nigerian banking industry is the most regulated sector in the country.
It said: “Banks are subject to stringent regulations as financial services companies by the primary regulator, the country’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and several other direct and indirect regulators.
“A large number of banks are publicly quoted and subject themselves to global scrutiny by domestic and international regulators and investors.
“The banking sector plays a pivotal role in the economic development of Nigeria, contributing significantly to both individual and growth of businesses of all sizes and the society at large.
“Without gainsaying, the development of the economy rests significantly on the banking sector and its intermediation roles.
“If any individual or group has grievances or concerns regarding the operations of any bank, we strongly encourage that such complaints be directed to the appropriate regulatory authorities.:
It went further to say that resorting to social media attacks, blackmail, or smear campaigns against banks and the banking sector not only undermines the hard-earned reputation of these institutions, but also seeks to unfairly manipulate the targeted banks.
It said: “We strongly urge individuals engaging in such activities to desist and consider the facts before making accusations.
“Regulatory agencies are well-equipped to handle such concerns with impartiality, diligence, and professionalism, ensuring that all issues are addressed through the proper channels.
“We remain committed to delivering the highest standard of banking services, and we will continue to operate with the utmost professionalism, guided by the rules and regulations that govern our industry.
“Together, let us encourage an environment of trust and collaboration rather than division; citizens should desist from criminalizing a highly professional sector that has brought glory to Nigeria and Africa, as the banking sector works hard individually and collectively to build a stronger and more resilient Nigerian economy that works for everyone.”
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