Skit maker charged to court over post about Otti arresting youths who prevented road construction
A content creator, MC Sweet, has been arraigned in court for allegedly making a fake online post that Governor Alex Otti of Abia state tricked some elders and youths to get them arrested.
It was reported over a week ago that Aba Ngwa indigenes tried to stop the construction of the Port-Harcourt Road in Aba, but Otti invited the elders and youths to Umuahia for a peace meeting where he allegedly ordered that the indigenes be locked up.
The state government denied the reports which created a sensation online, and clarified in a statement that the governor never did any such thing.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a trending social media report wherein the authors, for whatever purpose, alleged that Abia State Gov. @alexottiofr had some young men & elders arrested after he allegedly invited them for peace talks in Umuahia.
The fact of the matter is that Gov. Alex Otti did not at any time order the arrest of anyone or group of people in connection with any remote or immediate event before and after the flag off of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba.”
MC Sweet was consequently arrested by the police and arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Aba, for trying to defame the characters of Aba Ngwa Peoples Forum members.
The Prosecutor, Mary N. Udorji told the court that the skit-maker made the defamatory post within Aba Magisterial District, pointing out that the offence he committed was punishable under Section 375 of Criminal Code, Cap 80, Vol. 111 of Laws of Abia State Nigeria, 2005.
According to Udorji, the content creator tried to injure the reputation of Aba Ngwa people, ridiculing and exposing them to hatred.
The accused who apologized to the Aba Ngwa Peoples Forum for the injurious social media post, begged that he be given bail so that he could do another post debunking the earlier one he made.
Chief Magistrate , Erinma Enyeribe granted him bail and adjourned the matter to February 29.
