Magistrate Court in Umuahia, Abia state has ordered that Nollywood actress, Chioma Toplis, be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Afara over defamation.
Punch reports that Toplis was dragged before the court for allegedly using her Facebook page to post “a malicious publication” against the Chairman of Abia State Traditional Prime Ministers Council, High Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu, popularly known as BAWAS in which she described him as “a råpist and a rituåĺist”.
In the court document titled “Inspector General of Police vs Chioma Toplis ‘f’ aged 48”, the accused committed the alleged offense between May 28, 2021, and May 31, 2021.
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,l 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 offense punishable under Section 24(b)of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention,n, etc) Act, 2015, as applicable in Abia State.”
During the hearing of the case today, there was no plea for bail after the charges were read and the trial Chief Magistrate, Idika Kalu, ordered that the accused be remanded at the Afara Correctional Centre, Umuahia.
The matter was adjourned till April 14, 2022
Speaking with newsmen later, the plaintiff, Chief Akwukwuegbu, who identified the accused as his sister-in-law, expressed his worry on why she resorted to ”blackmailing” him.
He expressed no knowledge of all the allegations while insisting that she has to substantiate her claims.
