Two women docked for allegedly accusing woman of killing co-wife
By Taiye Agbaje
Two women identified as Nkiru Ulasi and Ogechukwu Angela were on Thursday docked for allegedly accused another woman, Mrs Uju Akubueze, of killing her husband’s first wife.
The two women were arraigned by Inspector-General (I-G) of Police before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on allegations bordering on cybercrime offences.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge filed by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police.
The I-G had, in the charge filed by John Ijagbemi of the Directorate of Legal Services, Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja, named Ulasi and Angela as 1st and 2nd defendants.
In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2026, the prosecution accused the defendants of cyberbullying, defamation, threat, false information, among others.
They were accused of posting false information on WhatsApp and TikTok platforms.
They were alleged to have deliberately and intentionally sent videos, pictures and WhatsApp conversations in different forms with different dates and time, a misinformation against the person of Mrs Uju Akubueze.
The defendants were said to have “lied and accused Akubueze of killing her husband’s first wife, and labeling her as an HIV carrier, without any justification.”
The prosecution said the offence is contrary to Section 24 (1) (a) and (b) (2) (a) and (c) and punishable under Section 24(2) (i) (ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Act), 2015 (as amended), 2024.
When the case was called on Thursday, the police lawyer, Ijagbemi, informed the court of the charge.
He prayed the court that the charge be read to the defendants for them to take their plea.
The defendants’ lawyers, Wisdom Elum and Pascal Nnaji, did not opposed the application.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge, and the prosecution sought a trial date.
Responding, Elum, who appeared for Ulasi, said though he was not opposing the application for a trial date, he urged the court to give the case accelerated hearing.
The lawyer said he had also filed a bail application on behalf of his client.
He said the application was dated Nov. 3 and filed Nov. 5.
He said the application, which was filed pursuant to relevant provisions of the law and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court, sought an order admitting Ulasi to bail pending the hearing and determination of the criminal charge against her.
He said the defendants are innocent until proven guilty in line with Section 35(6) of the constitution.
He said though the prosecution filed a counter affidavit which was served on them some minutes to the commencement of the sitting, he argued that the police had be unable to prove that Ulasi actually jumped bail.
He, therefore, prayed the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms.
Elum said their application was attached with a collection of media publications about the matter.
The judge, however, said that though the media cannot be stopped from doing their duties, proceedings in the court must be accurately reported.
Nnaji, while moving his motion for bail on behalf of Angela, said the prosecution did not oppose granting her a bail.
The lawyer also prayed the court to admit his client to a bail on liberal terms.
Responding, the prosecution lawyer said they were not objecting to Angela’s application for bail because she did not breach the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted her.
“Therefore, we are leaving it to my lord’s discretion because any time we called her, she answers us,” he said.
Ijagbemi, however, said that the police opposed Ulasi’s bail application because she jumped the administrative bail granted her.
He said a 27-paragraph counter affidavit was filed in urging the court to refuse her bail request.
Justice Nyako, therefore, cautioned Ulasi against breaching bail conditions which could result to bail revocation.
In a short ruling, the judge held that the offences with which the defendants were being charged were bailable ones.
She admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties each in like sum.
Justice Nyako, who said one of the sureties must be a resident of Abuja, ordered that the defendants should be remanded in a correctional centre pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
She consequently adjourned the matter until March 23, 2027, for commencement of trial.
(NAN)