Human rights activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore has strongly criticised the remand of Nollywood actress Doris Ogala at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, accusing the Nigeria Police Force of misusing the Cybercrimes Act to shield influential individuals.
Ogala was remanded pending the hearing and determination of her bail application after being arraigned on Wednesday on three counts. The charges, brought by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos, relate to alleged cyberbullying, cyberstalking and attempted extortion of Pastor Chris Okafor. The allegations include the publication of intimate photographs, dissemination of allegedly false electronic messages and threats against the cleric.
In a Facebook post reacting to the development, Sowore described the police action as a deepening “weaponisation of the Cybercrimes Act.” He questioned how allegations involving a private relationship with a pastor could lead to a federal court arraignment, and raised concerns about the choice of Justice Aluko, citing perceptions of impartiality issues in cases involving pastors.
“Once again, the Nigeria Police Force has deepened its weaponisation of the Cybercrimes Act! What kind of society are we becoming?” Sowore wrote. “The Nigeria Police Force has no business turning private relationships into criminal prosecutions or deploying the Cybercrimes Act as a weapon of intimidation.”
Sowore further noted that Ogala, the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Abia State, is entitled to the full protection of her constitutional rights, due process and a fair hearing. He called on the police to stop criminalising private disputes and urged the judiciary not to become an instrument of religious influence or personal vendettas.