Man Charged for Allegedly Defaming Police Officer on Facebook and WhatsApp

The Oyo state police command on Tuesday, September 3, arraigned a 39-year-old man identified as Ganiyu Abiola before the Iyaganku Chief Magistrate Court over alleged defamation of a police officer through Facebook and WhatsApp.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Sikiru Opaleye, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 12, 2024, at about 6.00 p.m. in the Egbeda area of Ibadan, the state capital. According to Opaleye, the defendant through his Facebook and WhatsApp accounts, made a post claiming one Inspector Folasade Adeoye aided someone to commit fraud.

Opaleye also told the court that the defendant conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by spreading false information about Adeoye.

According to the prosecutor, the alleged offences contravened Section 249 (d) and 375 of the Criminal Law of Oyo State, 2000. When the two counts bordering on defamation and breach of peace were read to him, Ganiyu pleaded not guilty.

The Chief Magistrate, Olabisi Ogunkanmi, thereafter granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. As part of the bail condition, the magistrate ruled that one of the sureties must belong to a human rights association.

She ordered that the other surety must provide evidence of three years’ tax payment, to the Oyo State Government.

Ogunkanmi adjourned the case to November 19, 2024, for mention.