Rotimi Jolayemi, aka Oba Akewi, Nigerian journalist has been charged by police for inciting “annoyance” and “hatred” against minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed.
Press secretary to the ministry of information and culture, Joe Mutah said, “It is not everything that the minister will react to,” when he minister was unavailable for comment.
The journalist was charged 17 days after he was arrested in Osun state and has been in detention ever since, Daily Trust reports.
Jolayemi, who is the vice-chairman of Osun state chapter of Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria was alleged by police to have shared an audio file on WhatsApp back in April.
The journalist was therefore charged for contravening Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, according to the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CB/104/2020.
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Prosecuting Counsel, Joseph Offor, signed the charge sheet, which alleged the journalist sent the audio file to a WhatsApp group named “Ekan Sons and Daughters”
The message went viral and was posted “for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, hatred and ill will to the current Hon. Minister of Information and Culture … Lai Mohammed,” according to the charges.
