Nigerian TikTok User Sentenced to Jail for Defamation of Nollywood Actress

A TiKTok user named Nwakaego Okoye has been convicted and sentenced by a Federal High Court in Lagos State for defaming Nollywood actress Eniola Badmus.

Nwakaego pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted to defaming Eniola Badmus because she was promised N200,000 by her friend Fortune Ibe. As a result of her remorse, Justice Oweibo gave her the option to pay a fine of N150,000 instead of serving jail time.

This action was deemed to be in violation of Sections 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(c) and 27 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.

Nwakaego was jointly charged with another individual named Chimabia, who is currently at large. In a separate development, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) announced that the ECOWAS Court had declared Section 24 of Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act as vague, arbitrary, and unlawful. SERAP filed a suit before the court, arguing that this section of the act was contrary to the rule of law and that individuals should not be charged with cyberstalking based on its provisions.

SERAP emphasized that the ECOWAS Court’s ruling rendered Section 24 invalid.