Two men, Justice Ozobi, 29, and Ede Isaac, 42, were on Wednesday arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Abakaliki over alleged cyberstalking, false publication and membership of a group allegedly linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The accused were arraigned on a four-count charge, marked MAB/543C/2026, filed by the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi Command.
The charges bordered on conspiracy, alleged false publication against the Commissioner of Police, cyberstalking/cyberbullying and alleged membership of IPOB.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecuting counsel, Mrs Lilian Aliede, told the court that Ozobi, Isaac and others now at large conspired between August and September 2026 in Abakaliki to commit a felony, namely cyberstalking/cyberbullying.
According to her, the offence was punishable under Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
Aliede noted that Ozobi, through his Facebook account, “Justice Ozobi,” published a live broadcast in which he claimed that the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, collected a bribe of N700,000 from undisclosed persons.
She said that the defendant knew the claim to be false and published it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order.
The prosecutor further said that Isaac also caused the transmission of the alleged false communication through Ozobi’s Facebook account, adding that the information was capable of harming the reputation of the Commissioner of Police.
She noted that the offences in Counts two and three contravened Section 24 (2) (c) (i) and (ii) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
On Count four, Aliede said that Ozobi, Isaac and others now at large belonged to the New Face of Igbo Youths Movement, which the prosecution counsel described as an offshoot of IPOB.
She said the offence contravened Sections 3 (1) (3) and 4 (1), and was punishable under Section 5 of the Ebonyi State Law Prohibiting Secret Cult Activities and Carrying of Offensive Weapons, 2009.
The defence counsels, James Nwebonyi and Chika Nwigwe, prayed the court to grant the defendants bail.
Mrs Happiness Chima, Chief Magistrate, however, rejected the bail application and adjourned the case to Sept. 29, 2026, for further proceedings.