FG Files Charges against HEDA Boss, Suraju on Alleged Cyberstalking

Date of Occurrence

January 23, 2022
State/Country

Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

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Description

The Federal Government has filed charges against the Chairman of Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, for allegedly cyberstalking former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Mohammed Adoke.

The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/370/2021, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, is coming six months after Suraju was arrested by the police following a petition by the former AGF.

The police had on April 15 interrogated Suraju over a forgery petition by Adoke, demanding a probe of email evidence presented against him by prosecutors in the Malabu trial in Milan, Italy, admitting that the Malabu transaction was a scam.

According to the lead prosecution counsel, Mr. A.O. Shaibu, the HEDA boss’ actions violate Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, with the aim to dent the image of Mr. Adoke.

In count one, Suraju is accused of intentionally circulating an audio telephone interview between Ms. Carlamaria Rumur, a reporter with RIAReporter in Italy and Mohammed Adoke via his twitter handle @HEDAagenda, which he knew to be false, for the purpose of causing insult to Adoke and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention ETC) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act.

In count 2, Suraju is accused of committing the same alleged offence in count one through the Twitter handle @HEDAResourcecentre.

In count 3, he is accused of intentionally circulating an email dated June 21, 2011, alleged to have been sent with the email address [email protected] owned by A Group Properties and received by a certain Osoluke Bayo O. with the email address [email protected], “which you knew to be false via your Twitter handle @HEDAagenda for the purpose of causing insult to Adoke and hereby committed an offense contrary to section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention ETC) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act.”

In count 4, the defendant is accused of committing the same offense in count three via the Facebook handle @HEDAResourcecentre

https://guardian.ng/news/fg-files-charges-against-heda-boss-suraju-on-alleged-cyberstalking/

Actions Taken

Activists To Storm Court As Cyberstalking Trial Against HEDA Chairman, Suraju, Holds Monday

The Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Binta Nyako will on Monday hear cyberstalking charges preferred against Chairman of Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre), Olanrewaju Suraju, by the Nigerian Government.

A former Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, one of those accused of and charged with fraud in the OPL245 scam, also referred to as the Malabu scandal had petitioned the police.

Adoke had accused those behind the petitions resulting in his prosecution for corruption and money laundering that they circulated fabricated evidence against him to unduly incriminate him in the multi-million dollar scandal.

SaharaReporters learnt on Sunday that the trial would hold Monday as human rights and anti-corruption activists prepare to storm the courts in solidarity with Suraju.

A notice titled, "Corruption Fighting Back- Comrade Lanre Suraju vs Adoke and the FGN" obtained on Sunday reads, "Dear friends and colleagues, this is to inform/invite you in solidarity in the case of cyberstalking against the Chair of HEDA Resource Centre, brought against him by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, hiding under a petition written by a former fugitive and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

"It was alleged that he (Suraj) forged a document used in Milan and London courts in the ongoing OPL 245 trials. Comrade Suraj will be arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday 24th of January, 2022. He will appear before Justice Binta Nyako by 10:00 am on Monday.

"This is to invite comrades and friends and all anti-corruption activists to come out in solidarity with him. Aluta continua, Victoria Ascerta."

The notice was signed by Eze Alloysius for the activists.

SaharaReporters had in November 2021 reported that the subject of Adoke’s petition was the forgery of an email in which Nigeria, as a sovereign state was short-changed to the tune of $1.1billion, and HEDA and its international partners, had been involved in the advocacy for recovery of this money and prosecution of principal actors behind the heist.

However, HEDA and Suraju denied any wrongdoing in a series of statements issued on the matter, stating that the items they were accused of fabricating featured as exhibits in the Malabu Oil scam trials in London, UK, and Milan, Italy.

The Nigerian Government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation recently filed four counts in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/370/2021, accusing Suraju of using his social media handles as well as emails and audio interviews to circulate false information on Adoke.

But in a preliminary objection to the suit against him, Suraju, through his counsel, M.A. Banire & Associates led by Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), sought the dismissal of the suit, stating that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the charge against him.

However, SaharaReporters gathered that Malami, Adoke, and the prosecutor team were not in court while the court authorities refused to inform Suraju and his legal team.

Suraju had been in court with his lawyer and Comrade Zikrillah Ibrahim of CHRICED, in solidarity.

He was, however, was left disappointed.

He had also complained of the cost of traveling only to find the court would not be sitting.

The court, after consultation with the counsel, had adjourned the matter till January 24, 2022.