In Lagos, the Federal High Court has handed down a three-year prison sentence to Okoye Blessing Nwakaego, a TikTok user, for engaging in cyberstalking against Nollywood actress Eniola Badmus on the TikTok platform.
As reported by Thenationonline, Nwakaego was found guilty on two counts of cyberstalking. However, the court took into account her remorse and provided an alternative: a fine of N150,000 in lieu of serving the prison term.
The charges stated that between December 2022 and July 2023, Nwakaego and an accomplice named Chimabia (who is currently evading authorities) conspired to commit the offense.
Nwakaego, in one of her viral TikTok videos, had made the claim: “Eniola Badmus is a Professional Pimp, she connects small small girls to Big Politicians all over Nigeria.”
They disseminated offensive and false content via platforms such as TikTok, Gossipmill TV, remedy blog, and other social media networks, using Nwakaego’s mobile number. Their intent was to cause annoyance, inconvenience, and damage to Eniola Badmus’s reputation.
The case violated sections 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(c) and 27 of the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 and was presented by Nosa Uhumwangho.
During the legal proceedings, Nwakaego confessed that she created the false video based on a narrative from a male friend. This friend concocted a fabricated story about Eniola Badmus, which prompted Nwakaego to produce the defamatory video.
For her actions, Nwakaego received N200,000 from her friend, who then urged her to post the video on TikTok, leading to its circulation and viewership online.