By Evelyn Usman

The Federal Government has filed  charges against Chairman of  the Human and Environmental Development Agenda,HEDA Mr. Olarenwaju Suraju,  at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on alleged cyberstalking of former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.

Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, in a four count charge as filled in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/370/2021, accused  Suraju of using his social media handles as well as emails and audio interview to circulate false information on Adoke.

Adoke  had petitioned the Police  over  the circulation of what he described as   forged email and stage-managed phone conversation aimed at roping  him in the OPL 245 trial in Italy. He stated in the petition that  the  circulated  fake tape  was  an interview he   purportedly had with an Italian journalist admitting that the Malabu transaction was a scam.

The lead prosecution counsel, Mr. A.O. Shaibu, said HEDA boss’s alleged action  violates section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015,  adding that it was done with the  intention “to insult and dent the image of Mohammed Adoke”.

He informed that an Italian court had since dismissed allegations of corruption in the OPL 245 deal while the prosecutors were being investigated over alleged falsification and manipulation of evidence.

READ ALSO: OPL 245 Scam: Police report accuses activist of forging email, telephone conversation against Adoke

Federal government in Count one of the charge  accused Suraju  of” intentionally circulating an audio telephone interview between Ms CarlaMaria Rumur, a reporter with RIAReporter in Italy and Mohammed Adoke via his twitter handle @HEDAagenda which he knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult to Adoke and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 24 of the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition, Prevention ETC) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act.

Count 2 accused  him  of committing the same alleged offense in count one through the twitter handle @HEDAResourcecentre.

Count 3  accused Suraju of “intentionally circulating an email dated June 21, 2011, alleged to have been sent with the email address [email protected] owned by A Group Properties and received by a certain Osoluke Bayo O. with the email address bayo.o.osoluke@ipmorgan, which you knew to be false via your twitter handle @HEDAagenda for the purpose of causing insult to Adoke and hereby committed an offense contrary to section 24 of the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition, Prevention ETC) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act”.

In count 4, he  was equally accused of committing the same offense in count three via the facebook handle @HEDAResourcecentre.

Vanguard News Nigeria