Court remands Bayelsa blogger, Saint Meinpamo

Abuja—A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of popular Bayelsa Blogger, Mienpamo Onitsha Saint at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged criminal defamation against the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), retired Major General Barry Ndiomu.

The defendant who is the owner of Naijalivetv.com is standing trial on three-count charges bordering on alleged willful libel, threat, causing danger and insult against Ndiomu.

However, when the charges were read to him on Thursday at the commencement of the hearing, the media entrepreneur pleaded not guilty.

The charges read in part:

“That you Mienpamo Onitsha Saint of Imiringi Road, Yenagoa, sometime in September 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did knowingly and intentionally sent a message/post by means of computer system network via your Facebook page ‘Mienpamo Onitsha Saint’ that vote of no confidence on Ndiomu as Amnesty Delegate strangled to death by Ndiomu Boys in Abuja which you know to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, ill will and needless anxiety to one Major General Barry Ndiomu (Retd) and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015.”

The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite therefore adjourned the case till December 4, 2023, for continuation of trial.