Woman Remanded Over Alleged Cyberstalking Of Shade Okoya

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday remanded a 35-year-old woman, Ifeoma Nwafor, at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre over alleged cyberstalking of the Managing Director of Eleganza Industrial City Limited, Mrs Folashade Okoya.

Nwafor was remanded after Justice Deinde Dipeolu granted her bail of N3m with two sureties in like sum but ordered that she remain in custody pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

The police had arraigned Nwafor on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and alleged cyberstalking of Okoya, the wife of billionaire industrialist Razaq Okoya.

The defendant, who was accused of using various Instagram accounts to publish what the prosecution described as “offensive, false, malicious and calculated” materials against Okoya, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Following her plea, defence counsel, O.J. Aduwa, applied for bail pursuant to Sections 35(4), 36(1) and 36(5) of the Constitution.

Aduwa urged the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms, assuring the court that she would make herself available throughout the trial.

The prosecution counsel, Stanley Nwafoaku of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, did not oppose the bail application, citing the nature of the alleged offences.

In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu granted Nwafor bail in the sum of N3m with two sureties in like sum.

The judge ordered that the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court, with one of them being a blood relation of the defendant.

They were also directed to provide evidence of three years’ tax payment, their National Identification Numbers and photographs, and depose to affidavits of compliance.

Justice Dipeolu further ordered Nwafor to depose to an affidavit undertaking to make herself available for trial.

However, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that she be remanded at the Kirikiri Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Earlier the defendant was arraigned, following the charge, with suit No. FHC/LAG/CR/819/2026, filed against her by the police.

The police alleged that Nwafor and others, still at large sometime in June 2026, at Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos, conspired to commit a felony.

The prosecution alleged that the defendant acted with intent to cause “annoyance, injury, fear, intimidation, enmity and/or needless anxiety” to Okoya.

It further alleged that Nwafor participated in the publication of “offensive, false, malicious and calculated” materials on Instagram through the handles @cutie_juis and @truestorieswithifeomafa.

The police also alleged that pictures of Okoya and defamatory materials concerning her were published on the internet.

The prosecution also alleged that Nwafor, through the Instagram handle @truestorieswithifeomafans, published a statement that was “derogatory and calculated to invite mockery, ridicule, gossip, suspicion and scandal” against Okoya.

Police similarly alleged that Nwafor used an online link to publish pictures of Okoya alongside a statement described as “derogatory and calculated to invite mockery, ridicule, suspicion and scandal.”

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 516, 24 (2) (1) (a) and (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

Nwafor, however, pleaded not guilty to all three counts.

The defendant told the court that she hailed from the Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State but was born in Lagos State.

She said she attended Christian Council of Nigeria Primary School and Roxton International School before graduating from Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State.

The case was adjourned until November 8, 2026, for trial.

Credit: Punch

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