Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted bail to Saint Onitsha Mienpamo, a news blogger and owner of the online publication Naija Live TV based in Bayelsa State.
Mienpamo is facing charges of alleged cyber-stalking in suit no. FJC/ABJ/CR/492/2023, with the Inspector-General of Police as the complainant and Mienapamo as the defendant.
After his arraignment, Mienpamo was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre.
During the bail application hearing, prosecuting counsel, Victor Okoye opposed the bail request, expressing concerns about the defendant’s potential to flee while on bail.
But the defence counsel, Benjamin A. Ogbara, argued that despite the opposition put forward by the prosecution lawyer, which to him was unfounded, the court had the discretional power to admit him to bail.
The presiding Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, after listening to the submissions of the prosecuting counsel, Victor Okoye, and that of the defence counsel, Benjamin Ogbara, granted bail to Mienpamo pending the determination of the trial.
Justice Nwite, while granting the bail application, however, stated that the defendant had shown that he was willing to defend the case preferred against him and ready to cooperate with the court by not jumping bail.
He also stated that despite the argument put forward by the prosecution counsel on the possibility of the defendant jumping bail, “there is no concrete evidence before the court to buttress the assertion. And I hereby grant the defendant bail in the interest of justice.”
The first condition of the bail is the payment of N10m and two sureties in like sum and that one of the sureties shall possess a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and that the document to the landed property must be verified by the Deputy Registrar of the court.
The second surety must be a responsible citizen of this country and both counsel together with the sureties must each deposit two copies of their recent photographs with the Deputy Registrar of the court.
The bail conditions further indicated “that the residences of the sureties must be verified and confirmed by the registrar of the court.”
Justice Nwite, however, adjourned the case until March 19, 2024, for trial.
Recall that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on November 2, 2023, ordered that Mienpamo be remanded at the Kuje Custodial Centre over alleged defamation and cyberstalking of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd.).
The defendant was also accused of three counts of alleged willful libel, threat, and causing danger and insult against Ndiomu.
When the charges were read to him at the commencement of the hearing, Mienpamo had reportedly pleaded ‘not guilty’ to them.