Alleged cyberstalking: Govt files charges against HEDA’s boss, Suraju

By Christopher Oji

The Federal Government has formerly filed charges against Chairman, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Mr. Olarenwaju Suraju, for allegedly cyberstalking the former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Mohammed Adoke. The four-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/370/2021, slammed on Suraju, was filed before  the Federal High Court, Abuja. The charge, which was filed by the Office of Attorney General of the Federation, is coming nearly six months after the defendant was arrested and investigated by the police.

In the four count charge, the office of AGF is accusing the anti-corruption crusader of circulating in his social media handles, emails and audio interview information which he “knew to be false after the same was rejected in evidence in a criminal court in Italy”.

The charge, which was signed by the lead prosecution counsel, Mr. A.O. Shaibu, claimed that the HEDA boss committed the alleged act which violates Section 24 of the Cyber crimes Act, 2015, with the aim “to insult and dent the image of Mohammed Adoke.”

In count one of the charge, Suraju was accused of intentionally circulating an audio telephone interview between Ms CarlaMaria Rumur, a reporter with RIAReporter in Italy, and Mohammed Adoke, via his twitter handle @HEDAagenda, which he knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult to Adoke and, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Cyber crimes (Prohibition, Prevention ETC) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act. In count two, Suraju was accused of committing the same alleged offence in count one through the twitter handle @HEDAResourcecentre.

In count three, the prosecution, however, accused Suraju of “intentionally circulating an email dated June 21, 2011, alleged to have been sent with the email address [email protected] owned by A Group Properties and received by a certain Osoluke Bayo O. with the email address bayo.o.osoluke@ipmorgan, which you knew to be false via your twitter handle @HEDAagenda, for the purpose of causing insult to Adoke and, hereby, committed an offence contrary to section 24 of the Cyber crimes (Prohibition, Prevention ETC) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act.”