Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail of N5 million with one surety in equivalent sum to Nollywood actress Angela Okorie, who is accused of cyberbullying fellow actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie, during a session on January 30.
During the hearing of Okorie’s bail plea, presented by her attorney, Earnest Nwoye, the prosecution raised objections. However, the judge noted that there was insufficient evidence that Okorie would evade bail if it were granted.
Justice Nwite stated, "Therefore, I am inclined to approve the bail in the interest of justice," emphasizing that bail decisions must be made judiciously by the court.
The court subsequently set Okorie's bail at N5 million and required that her surety must be a level 13 civil servant who is capable of providing an affidavit of means. The surety needs to submit their appointment letter and a document confirming their most recent promotion in service.
Okorie and her surety are also required to provide two passport-sized photographs to the court registrar. Furthermore, the judge stipulated that the location of the surety must be verified by the registrar.
Justice Nwite postponed the case until March 23 for further proceedings, while ordering Okorie to remain in the Suleja Correctional Centre until her bail conditions are satisfied.
Prior to this, Okorie was apprehended in Lagos on January 27 and subsequently transported to Abuja, where she faced charges involving cyberstalking and criminal defamation, allegedly committed in connection with an associate, Ifeoma Mbonu, who remains at large. These allegations pertain to actions supposedly taking place between 2024 and 2025, in breach of the Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015.
Upon reading the seven charges to her, Okorie entered a not guilty plea. The police’s legal representative, Victor Okoye, indicated that a trial date would be sought to bring witnesses before the court to validate their claims against her.
After her initial arraignment on a three-count charge, the judge had previously dismissed a verbal bail request from Okorie's legal counsel, Alex Ejesieme, SAN, necessitating her detention until the formal bail request was processed on January 30.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!