The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to social media commentator Justice Chidiebere, widely known as "Justice Crack," in the sum of five million naira (N5 million) with one surety in like amount. The bail was secured through his newly engaged counsel, Sam Amadi.
Bail Conditions Imposed
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while delivering the ruling on the bail application, stipulated several conditions that must be fulfilled before the bail can be perfected. The surety must reside within the court's jurisdiction at a fixed and verifiable address for at least four years. Additionally, the surety is required to submit proof of residence, either through a tenancy agreement or a Certificate of Occupancy, to the court registry.
The surety must also be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15 and provide evidence of at least three months' salary payments, a letter of authentication from the immediate head of department, and proof of pensionable employment. Furthermore, the surety is required to depose to an affidavit of means and submit a recent passport photograph to the registry. As part of the bail conditions, the defendant was ordered to deposit his international passport with the court pending the determination of the case.
Prosecution Witness Testifies
Earlier in the proceedings, prosecution counsel M.L. Aboye informed the court that the prosecution was prepared to commence the trial. The first prosecution witness, identified as Oronto Douglas, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, subsequently testified before the court. The witness stated that he became acquainted with the defendant during investigations after being transferred from the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps to the DSS.
The witness told the court that the defendant voluntarily made an extra-judicial statement, which was recorded in the presence of lawyers from the Legal Aid Council. According to the witness, some soldiers allegedly sent pictures to the defendant, who then converted them into videos and posted them on social media without verifying their authenticity with military authorities.
Forensic Examination
The witness further disclosed that investigators conducted a forensic examination of the defendant's mobile phone, extracting videos allegedly posted online, conversations between the defendant and some soldiers, chats with a supposed godfather allegedly discussing protests, as well as content from his various social media platforms. The witness added that a certificate of compliance was issued and signed by a superior officer upon completion of the forensic analysis.
Defence Raises Objections
Counsel to the defendant, Sam Amadi, however, informed the court that the defence had not been served with the investigation report and other documents the prosecution intended to tender as exhibits. Responding, the prosecution described the omission as an oversight and apologised to the court.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently admitted the DSS investigation report as Exhibit A. The prosecution also tendered an iPhone allegedly recovered from the defendant, a flash drive said to contain videos posted on social media platforms, conversations extracted from the device, and the certificate of compliance. The defence, however, objected to the admissibility of the flash drive, arguing that its contents had neither been described nor played before the court for proper evaluation.
Justice Abdulmalik thereafter adjourned the matter until May 25 for continuation of trial.
