On Tuesday, a Magistrate Court sitting in Umuahia, detained Nollywood actress, Chioma Toplis, was detained at the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Afara, over defamation.
Toplis was alleged of cybercrime by using her Facebook page to post on Facebook.
The post which was seen to be “a malicious publication” against High Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu, known as BAWAS, the Chairman of Abia State Traditional Prime Ministers Council,
She was also alleged of utilizing her Facebook page to tag the chairman as “a rapist and a ritualist”.
The one-count read, “That you Chioma Toplis ‘f’ between the 28th and 31st of May, 2021, while residing in Nigeria, and being a social network user, and being under the Umuahia North Magisterial District and knowingly and maliciously published in your Facebook page “CHIOMA TOPLIS” the following: ‘Ur rapist father invited his daughter in-law (now Ex) to Nigeria without his son’s consent and slept with her’.
“You equally called him a ritualist who used his last daughter as the sacrificial lamb of the family, hence she is perpetually sick and hidden in the house. A publication which you know to be false and intended to cause annoyance, inconveniences, danger, obstruction, enmity, hatred, ill-will or needless anxiety to the person of Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu, the Chairman of Abia State Traditional Prime Ministers Council, a renowned Community Leader and business mogul, and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24(b)of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015, as applicable in Abia State.”
According to the court statement titled “Inspector General of Policevs Chioma Toplis ‘f’ aged 48”, she is said to have perpetrated thealleged offence between May 28, 2021 and May 31, 2021.
However, tere was no plea for bail for the actress after the count charge was read.
Idika Kalu, the trial Magistrate Court has ordered that the actress be detained at the Afara Correctional Centre, Umuahia.
The case has also been adjourned till April 14, 2022.
By Damilola Olufemi
