TikTok user, Nwakaego Okoye, has been sentenced to three years in jail for defaming renowned Nigerian actress, Eniola Badmus.
According to reports, the case was ruled by Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday.
Okoye pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking. However, due to her remorse, the judge offered her an alternative option of paying a fine of N150,000 instead of serving the jail term.
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According to the charge, Nwakaego and one Chimabia (now at large) conspired to commit the offence between December 2022 and July 2023 in Lagos. It added that the offence contravened Sections 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(c) and 27 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.
In a viral video, the young woman was filmed claiming that the ace Nigerian thespian is a pimp who gives out young girls to politicians for their sexual pleasure, in exchange for a fee.
While tagging the actress as a ‘pimp’, Okoye further alleged that Eniola Badmus tried wooing her friend to a man for gratification. However, the TikTok user was arrested shortly after by the actress who reported the case to the police.
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Upon interrogation, Okoye confessed that she defamed the actress because a friend, Fortune Ibe, promised to pay her N200,000. Seen in a video clip apologising for her actions, Okoye said she needed the money to pay her house rent, adding that desperation pushed her into acting in such a manner.
She said, “What happened was that a friend of mine, Fortune Ibe, said if I should come out and talk about Mrs Eniola Badmus, he was going to send me N200k because I told him about my rent.
“That was what prompted the video. I am so sorry; I just did that because I was desperate to pay my house rent. I just did it because of the money.”