Facebook Post Sends Man to Jail in Kogi

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

A Magistrate Court sitting Lokoja has sentenced a middle-aged man, Mr. Habibu Achile Rabiu, to two months imprisonment with payment of a fine of N5,000 for contravening Section 393 of the Kogi State Penal Code by posting false information on his Facebook timeline.

The Trial Magistrate, Chief Magistrate A.A. Agatha, while delivering her judgment explained that Rabiu was guilty of raising false alarms punishable under law.

Rabiu was tried at Magistrate Court 3 over the comments on his Facebook timeline that the rate at which fever was killing people in the state was alarming, particularly during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The Department of State Security, DSS subsequently arrested Rabiu at Anyingba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State and was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court 3 in Lokoja.

The Prosecuting Counsel, Mr. M.A Abaji, argued that the defendant acted contrary to Section 393 of the Kogi State Penal Code by intimidating people, creating fear and inciting people against the state government.

Abaji stated that the defendant has also raised false alarms in the state against the backdrop of the normal rate of death amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He pointed out that the state epidemiologist was invited to testify to ascertain Rabiu’s claims, noting that the state epidemiologist said that the post on Facebook was normal contrary to Rabiu’s belief.

The Defence Counsel, E. A. Iwu, had argued that the defendant acted based on emotion after the death of his sister as a result of malarial fever at that moment.

He stated that his client was pained and in a sad mood when he posted that the rate at which fever is killing people is alarming.

The defendant was said to have paid N5,000 before he was moved to prison custody.