A man identified as MC Sweet, who created a fake online post falsely alleging that Aba Ngwa indigenes obstructed Julius Berger from constructing the Port-Harcourt Road in Aba, has been arraigned at a Magistrate Court in Aba, Abia State.
In the post, the online skit maker also claimed that Governor Alex Otti invited Aba Ngwa elders and youths to Umuahia for a peace meeting, where he purportedly ordered their imprisonment.
The Abia State government promptly refuted the false post through the Special Assistant on Special Communication to the Governor Mr. Dodoh Okafor.
The Aba Ngwa Peoples Forum also disowned the report, calling for the exposure of those behind the fake post and emphasizing their commitment to supporting projects in the State.
MC Sweet was later apprehended by the Police and brought before the Aba Magisterial District on charges of defamation against the members of the Aba Ngwa Peoples Forum.
The Prosecutor, Mary N. Udorji, read the charge sheet accusing MC Sweet of making a defamatory post within the Aba Magisterial District.
The offence is punishable under Section 375 of the Criminal Code, Cap 80, Vol. III of Laws of Abia State Nigeria, 2005, for trying to injure the reputation of Aba Ngwa people.
MC Sweet, who apologized to the Aba Ngwa Peoples Forum for the injurious social media post, pleaded for bail to correct the misinformation. Chief Magistrate Erinma Enyeribe granted bail and adjourned the matter to February 29, 2024.
Elder Azubuike Osondu Ochieze expressed concern over the attempt to tarnish the good name of Ngwa people, while Labour Party Chieftain Mike Evans saw the incident as a vindication of Governor Alex Otti and advised against abusing social media spaces.
