JUDICIARY
Administrators can be Liable for Members Crime-ex-NBA Scribe
former Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Douglas Ogbankwa, said that administrators of WhatsApp groups could be held responsible for violating the Cyber Act 2015 caused by members.
Ogbankwa disclosed this in an interview with the reporters on Tuesday in Lagos.
He said that many adminstrators of WhatsApp groups appeared ignorant of the provisions of the Cyber Act, which spelt out offences such as cyber stalking and bullying, among others.
According to him, ignorance of the Act is not an excuse for violation.
He said that in the wake of increased cyber crime, the Cyber Act had carefully made provisions to check cyber activities including social media.
“The Cyber Crime Prohibition Act 2015, provides for the liability of whatsapp group admins; so I think group admins need to take a look at the Act because it provides that admins must protect the intrerest of others
“So, if a post is made which threatens national security or interest, the Act is saying that such admins will be liable for any legal issue which may arise from such transactions.
“It, therefore, means that ignorance of the provisions of such law will not serve as an escape route for anybody as Whatsapp group admins have been empowered to delete offensive items entirely from a group
“Not taking advantage of these new features in Whatsapp to regulate activities of group members, may put the admins at risk of legal action as it will be deemed that such offensive items are endorsed by them.
“The truth is that social media is a novel area of communication in the world, and many people are unaware that there are laws enacted by government to regulate its affairs.
“A lot of criminal activities take palce on social media and regulations such as the Cyber Crime Prohibition Prevention Act provides for legal regulations and institutional framework for prevention of cyber crime in Nigeria,” he said
According to him, under the Act, there is a provision for even the operation of cyber cafe which also criminalises unregistered cafeing.
He added that social media users must keep themselves abreast of these developments.
“Section 24 of the Act says that a person who knowingly sends offensive, indecent, or false message, or causes criminal intimidation to the annoyance of others, is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N 7 million or imprisonment term of three years,” he said
Ogbankwa urged Whatsapp group admins to ensure that they scrutinise the calibre of person added to their platforms in order not to “buy” law suits or be listed in the bad book of the law.
JUDICIARY
Court Remands Landlord for Alleged Defilement of Tenant’s Daughter
A family court sitting at Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Tuesday ordered the remand of one Musibau Lamidi, 50, for alleged defilement of his tenant’s six-year-old daughter.
The Magistrate, Mrs S. A . Adesina, ordered that the landlord should be kept at the Agodi custodial facility pending advice from Oyo State Director of Public Prosecutions.
Adesina did not take the landlord’s plea.
She adjourned the case until April 25 for mention.
Reports says that Musibau, a resident of Olode, Ibadan, was charged on one-count of defilement.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Gbemisola Adedeji, told the court that the defendant, on March 13, between 8. 00 a.
m. and 4.00 p.m. defiled his tenant’s daughter.Adedeji said that Musibau had an issue with the child’s mother and asked her to pack out.
The prosecutor said that when the woman went to look for a house to rent, the defendant defiled her daughter.
She said that the offence contravened Section 34 of the Oyo State Child Right’s
Law of 2006. (NAN)
JUDICIARY
4 Friends Docked for Allegedly Threatening Cleric’s Life
Four friends were on Monday docked in a Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Ibadan for allegedly threatening the life of pastor Charles Gold.
The police charged Olatunji Musibau, 44;Abiodun Folarin, 50; Kazeem Oluremi, 60 and Yusuf Sodiq, 23, with conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Philip Amusan, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offence on March 8, at about 2 p.
m., at New Bodija Area in Ibadan.Amusan alleged that the defendants and others at large, threatened violence against pastor Gold, of Echo Evangelical Ministry Ibadan.
He said the offence contravened the probisions of sections 516 and 383 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Court President, Mrs Moji Aworemi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N150, 000 each and one surety each in like sum.
Aworemi held that the surety must be a blood relation to the defendants.
She adjourned the case until April 29, for mention. (NAN)
JUDICIARY
2 Teenagers in Court for Allegedly Stealing Sewing Machine
Two teenagers, Simor Aaron, 19, and Francis David, 18, were arraigned on Wednesday before a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a sewing machine and other items worth N325,000.
The defendants, both residents of High-Cost Narayi, Kaduna, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, to which they pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on March 11, at Barnawa Kaduna.
According to Leo, the duo burgled a tailoring shop of one Gladys Peter and stole her sewing machine, six wrappers, and four clothing materials all valued at N325,000.
The prosecutor stated that the defendants were caught and handed over to the police by members of the vigilante group on patrol in the area.
Leo said that the offences contravened Sections 281 and 217 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017, which stipulates a three-year jail term for stealing and two years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum, who must be gainfully employed.
Emmanuel adjourned the case until April 22, for hearing. (NAN)