Uche Igwe, a 40-year-old broadcaster, has appeared before a Yaba chief magistrate’s court over alleged sharing of the viral sex tape involving pupils of Chrisland School.
The Lagos state government arraigned the on-air-personality (OAP) in Lagos State court on Monday, our correspondent gathered.
The media personality was arraigned on a two-count charge of cyberstalking and breach of peace.
But during the court session, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Augustine Nwabuisi, prosecution counsel for the state criminal investigation department (SCID) Panti, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences on April 18, 2022.
He claimed that the defendant intentionally shared a video of the 10-year-old female student engaging in sexual intercourse with her colleague via his Twitter page, adding that the defendant allegedly shared the video on the internet for public viewing without the consent of the student’s parents or the school.
The action, he said, contravened section 24 (1) (a) (b) (i) of the cybercrime (prohibition and prevention) act of 2015, and section 168 (d) of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
Section 24 (1) of the cybercrime (prohibition and prevention) act of 2015 provides for 10 years’ imprisonment for cyberstalking.
Breach of the peace is also punishable with three months jail term under section 168 (d) of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
In her ruling, Adeola Adedayo, the chief magistrate, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with three sureties in like sum, ruling further that the sureties must submit their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and their Lagos State residents registration agency cards.
She also directed that one of the sureties must be a land owner, adding that all the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, and must be gainfully employed and have evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos state government.
She thereafter adjourned the case until June 13 for the continuation of trial.
In April, the sex video of the pupils, who were earlier in Dubai for the World Schools Games, had surfaced online, eliciting widespread criticism.
At the time, the state government had warned the public against sharing the video, adding that offenders risk 14 years in jail.
