Federal High Court Remands Controversial Bayelsa Blogger, Saint Meinpamo for Defamation

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of controversial Bayelsa Blogger and self-acclaimed ex-agitator, Mienpamo Onitsha Saint at the Kuje Correctional Centre, over criminal defamation against the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Major General Barry Ndiomu (Retd).

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

When the charges were read to him on Thursday at the commencement of hearing, the accused person however pleaded not guilty.

The charges read in part, “That you Mienpamo Onitsha Saint of Imiringi Road, Yenagoa, sometimes 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 cyber crime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.

“That you Mienpamo Onitsha Saint of Imiringi Road, Yenagoa sometimes in September 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did knowingly and intentionally transmitted and caused the transmission of a communication through a computer system network via public Facebook page known as Bayelsa Focus Group that vote of no confidence on Ndiomu as Amnesty Delegate strangled to death by Ndiomu Boys in Abuja which is aimed at bullying, threatening, threatening and harassing the person of Major General Barry Ndiomu (Retd) and such communication has caused him fear of death, violence, bodily harm and you thereby committed offence punishable under section 24 (2) (a) of the cyber crime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015”.

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