News
Erisco Foods-Chioma Okoli Trial Delayed. Here’s Why
By Fikayo Babalola
The Erisco Foods-Chioma Okoli court trial has been delayed over the presiding judge’s absence.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the trial of Chioma Okoli, accused of making controversial online statements about Erisco Foods Limited’s tomato paste, due to the absence of the presiding judge today, 13th June 2024.
The trial adjourned as Judge Peter Lifu was unavailable due to an official assignment.
Although he was present on seat in court today, Justice Lifu had to leave early to attend a conference, after hearing a few cases.
The trial has been rescheduled for June 19, as agreed upon by the counsels for both parties.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Okoli was granted bail on May 31, with a bond of ₦5 million and two sureties, after spending several days in custody since her arraignment on May 28 on a two-count charge.
The defendant, charged over online comments on Erisco Foods tomato paste, pleads not guilty to cybercrime charges, NAN reports.
Chioma Okoli
The police say initial probe reveals evidence of Okoli’s involvement in illegal cyber activities, violating cyber laws.
A protest from different civil Society organizations was made to express their displeasure with what they saw as the continued persecution of Okoli who gave a negative review of one of the company’s products.
On September 17th 2023, Okoli shared to her Facebook page her disappointment with a product she had purchased, stating that the Nagiko Tomato Mix from Erisco Foods, which she had bought the previous day, was excessively sweet.
She said she usually bought Gino or Sonia brands, but they were unavailable at the time.
Okoli’s Facebook post sparked in reactions, prompting the company’s management to involve law enforcement.
The controversy also led to a review of the product’s regulatory approval, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) launching an investigation into the registration of Erisco Foods’ Nagiko Tomato Mix, which was first registered in 2021.
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