A magistrate court in Abuja has struck out the case bordering on criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying filed against social media influencer Ofoegu Chukwuma, popularly known as Ijele.
The Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna, while ruling on the bail application filed through his lawyer on Thursday struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction.
The judge also ordered the police to arraign the blogger before a competent court of law to enable the defendant take his plea in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJA) 2015.
Ijele’s application last week suffered a setback as a result of the absence of the Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna, who claimed to be sick.
Delivering his ruling on the bail application, Iyana ruled that the defendant be arraigned before the Federal High Court where the prosecution claimed to have filed charges against him.
He added that there was no charge before his court against the blogger and that his court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case.
“There is no current case pending before this honourable court; I hereby strike out this matter,” the chief magistrate held.
Addressing journalists after the court proceedings, Ijele’s lawyer, Marvins Omorogbe, said, “The court had adjourned to today ruling on our bail. The ruling was delivered but the court felt the proper place to continue proceedings is at the Federal High Court. So he rather struck out the matter and striking out the matter means all the orders that were obtained in the case seized to exist.
“Because as it is today, there is no case at the magistrate court and we will be taking steps now to ensure that Ijele is released immediately and unconditionally.
“If there is other reason why the prosecutor needs to prosecute him, we will wait for them at the Federal High Court. As it is today, there is no justification to remand Ijele.”
Meanwhile armed policemen – in uniform and mufti – laid siege to the court premises with the aim. It was suspected that they were on standby to rearrest Ijele shortly after the ruling.
The prison officers had not brought the blogger to the court when the magistrate was giving his ruling in the case. But as at the time Ijele was brought to the court, the proceedings had ended.
Meanwhile, a mild drama played out outside the courtroom when a police officer in mufti approached the prison officer who brought Ijele to sign a warrant of arrest to enable them to rearrest the blogger.
But the prison officer turned down the request as he refused to sign the document, telling the police officer that he could not sign such a document in court.
A source who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity said the nominal complainant, Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s Zion Prayer Ministry Movement Outreach has openly bragged that the blogger will spend close to one year in prison to teach him the lesson of his life.
Ijele has been kept in the Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State since March 20, 2024 for alleged criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying against Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s Zion Prayer Ministry Movement Outreach.
