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Abuja Lawyer Felix Ashimole Arraigned for Cybercrime Over Defamatory Posts
- Abuja Lawyer Felix Ashimole Arraigned for Cybercrime Over Defamatory Posts
- Court Hears Case Against Ashimole for Alleged Online Harassment and Threats
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Abuja-based lawyer Felix Chukwuma Ashimole has been arraigned before Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court on cybercrime-related charges following allegations of online defamation against a colleague, Jude Ezeobi.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ashimole, the publisher of Kubwa Express, is facing charges in case number FHC/ABJ/CR/549/2024 for allegedly using online platforms to bully and tarnish Ezeobi’s reputation.
Court
A police investigation led to his prosecution after it was established that his statements across various public forums were false and intended to damage Ezeobi’s and his family’s reputations.
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Court documents reveal that on August 21, 2024, Ashimole allegedly made defamatory posts in a WhatsApp group called Law Center, which has over 540 members, mostly lawyers.
In the post, he falsely accused Ezeobi of creating a condolence WhatsApp group to solicit funds under the pretense of organizing the burial of his late ex-wife, Ulonna Inyama. Prosecutors argue that this claim was entirely false and designed to harm Ezeobi’s personal and professional image.
Further allegations indicate that Ashimole republished similar defamatory accusations on Kubwa Express in September 2024, despite previously issuing an apology and deleting the initial posts.
Prosecutors contend that this renewed publication was deliberate, with the intent of misleading the public and further damaging Ezeobi’s reputation.
On the same day, August 21, 2024, Ashimole reportedly made another defamatory post in a separate WhatsApp group, Law School Class of 2003, which consists of over 700 lawyers.
In this instance, he allegedly accused Ezeobi of meddling in his private affairs. Investigations suggest that Ashimole was aware these allegations were false but published them with the intent of embarrassing and bullying Ezeobi.
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In addition to the defamatory statements, Ashimole allegedly sent a direct message to Ezeobi, threatening that he possessed documents that could “bury” him if he chose to escalate the matter.
Prosecutors claim this message was intended to intimidate and silence Ezeobi.
Ashimole now faces charges under the Cybercrime (Protection, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, with penalties prescribed under Sections 24(1) and 24(2). The prosecution has submitted evidence, including witness statements, WhatsApp messages, and articles from Kubwa Express, to support their case against the defendant.
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