Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
The Imo State Government has arraigned the Imo State Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party’s New Media Centre, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, for terrorism for accusing Governor Hope Uzodinma of “secretly approving Rural Grazing Reserves for Fulani herdsmen”.
Nwaogwugwu was also said to have accused Governor Uzodinma of planning to rename the Imo State University after the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.
A copy of the charge sheet, marked 0W/217c/2020, stated that the 29-year-old Nwaogwugwu also accused the governor of constructing a Rural Grazing Area for Fulani herdsmen.
The defendant also allegedly accused Uzodinma of planning to divert N5.2bn meant for pensioners in the state.
The state government also slammed four other charges against the 29-year-old.
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The remaining charges bordered on cyberbullying, defamation, and attempting to incite citizens of the state against Uzodinma, who became governor of the state in January following a Supreme Court judgment.
The defendant was said to have made the allegations on his Facebook page between March and May.
He was subsequently arrested by the Department of State Services on May 28, 2020, but arraigned on Friday.
Part of the charges read, “That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on April 20, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly and intentionally posted on your Facebook wall through a computer network that Governor Hope Uzodinma is to rename Imo State University to Abba Kyari University for helping him out in the Supreme Court, which you know to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, injury, hatred, ill will and needless anxiety to the governor and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1)(a)(b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc) Act 2015.
“That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on March 23, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly published on your Facebook page that Governor Hope Uzodinma has inaugurated an undercover RUGA commissioner and has made available a large expanse of land for the takeoff of the RUGA project in Ngor Okpala which act is deliberately done with malice and which is seriously intended to intimidate Imo population and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(b)(II) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011.”
