An Anambra State High Court sitting in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Tuesday, sentenced a South African-based activist, Boniface Okonkwo, to 18 months in prison for defaming a businessman, Sir Emeka Offor.
Court, presided over by Justice Vincent Agbata, found Okonkwo guilty of posting defamatory content on the “Oraifite WhatsApp platform,” describing Offor’s meter manufacturing company as an “empty warehouse.”
Justice Agbata, in his judgment, stated that the evidence presented was sufficient to convict the defendant. The judge, however, offered Okonkwo the option of a N500,000 fine.
Okonkwo was arrested in January 2024 and detained following a complaint by Offor. The prosecution presented evidence, including a phone call allegedly made by the defendant in the courtroom, which linked him to the defamatory post through the Truecaller app as “overheat.”
Justice Agbata said it was common ground that Offor and Boniface are from Oraifite and belong to the same Oraifite WhatsApp group, with no dispute about it. He also stated that it was common ground that VIPs, including the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, visited the Oraifite community for a function where the subject matter in court originated.
The judge noted that trouble began when the defamatory publication surfaced two days later. He pointed out that Okonkwo had earlier defended himself through his counsel based on justification and fair comment, only to later deny the defamatory publication entirely.
Reacting to the judgment, the defence counsel, S.I. Okonkwo, expressed mixed feelings, stating that while he was unhappy with the outcome, he was relieved that the judge offered an option of a fine.
