Cursory: Mr. Yisa Usman, a Deputy Director of JAMB, has been charged with five offenses, including threats and blackmail against Mrs. Raheemat Oloyede, the wife of JAMB’s registrar. The charges relate to offensive and intimidating communication via a computer system, allegedly intended to cause inconvenience and anxiety. Mr. Usman pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by Justice Maha, with conditions including a surety and submission of travel documents. Additionally, Mr. Usman was accused of publishing false information on WhatsApp, violating the Cybercrime Act.
Mr. Yisa Usman, a Deputy Director of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), appeared before Justice Nkeonye Maha of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
He faced five charges filed by the police on behalf of the Nigerian Government, accusing him of threatening Mrs. Raheemat Oloyede over the phone with the intention to blackmail her husband, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who is the registrar of JAMB.
According to the charges, Mr. Usman, along with Abdulfatai Usman (who is currently evading arrest), allegedly engaged in intentional communication through a network computer system using the phone number +447529723948.
The nature of this communication was described as “grossly offensive, indecent, and criminal intimidation,” with the purpose of causing inconvenience and unnecessary anxiety to Mrs. Oloyede.These charges relate to incidents that occurred between February 14 and February 15, 2022. The arraignment took place before Justice Nkeonye Maha at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
They were alleged to have committed the offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a) & 1(b) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.It was earlier reported that Usman is the sole defendant in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/139/2023 dated March 29 but filed March 30.After the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Following the defendant’s plea, police prosecutor Eristo Asaph requested a trial date.However, Moses Balogun, who represented Usman, sought for bail.“Having pleaded not guilty, we shall be applying for bail my lord,” he said.
A bail application dated and filed on June 7 had previously been served on the prosecution on the same day, according to the lawyer.
He added that he submitted the motion on notice in compliance with Sections 35 and 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.He informed the court that while the case was being investigated and Usman was being held on administrative bail, he followed the terms of the bail.
Balogun, who said that Usman was a deputy director, prayed the court to grant him bail on liberal terms or self-recognition pending the hearing and determination of the case.Asaph did not oppose the application.Justice Maha, in a ruling, admitted Usman to bail in the sum of N2 million with a surety who must be a civil servant on level 14 and must own a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
She ruled that the defendant and the surety must submit their travel documents and a passport photograph each to the court registrar.In the alternative, the judge held that the surety could also be a responsible citizen having paid his tax for a period of two years and must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
She said the surety, who must submit his or her international passport and a passport photograph to the court registrar, must submit an affidavit of means.Justice Maha ordered that Usman should be remanded at a correctional centre pending the perfection of his bail and adjourned the matter until Oct. 26 for trial.
However, Mr. Balogun, representing Mr. Usman, requested the court to release his client pending the perfection of bail within five days. He assured the court that he would provide a written undertaking to that effect. The judge accepted the request and directed that the undertaking be completed by the end of the working day.
In addition to the aforementioned charges, the police also accused Mr. Usman of intentionally disseminating letters via a computer network system on WhatsApp social media platforms between January 31, 2022, and February 4, 2022. These letters allegedly made false allegations of fraud and violations of Federal Government regulations against Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB registrar, and members of the management board of JAMB.
The message or publication was said to be grossly offensive for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill-will or needless anxiety to them, even though, he knew such information to be false; and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.
Source: Saharareporters
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