Breaking: Court remands man for insulting governor

Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered that a 35-year-old man, Paul Gyenger, be remanded in a corrections facility for allegedly calling Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue “a chronic womaniser” on social media.

Mr Gyenger, who lives in Makurdi, was charged with cyberstalking and defamation of character.

However, the chief magistrate, Kelvin Mbanongun, did not take the defendant’s plea for want in jurisdiction.

Mr Mbanongun adjourned the matter until December 17 for further mention.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Insp Godwin Ato, told the court that the case was reported at the anti-cybercrimes and narcotics unit, Makurdi, by the ADC to the governor, ASP Ver Ingyatu, on October 16, 2024.

Mr Ingyatu reported that the suspect posted on a Facebook account bearing Terna Sunday Tyo that “the governor is a chronic womaniser’.

The complainant said the suspect also used abusive words in Tiv language to defame the character of the governor in different ways on the same Facebook account.

The prosecutor said the suspect was arrested after the police investigation.

Mr Ato further said the offence contravened sections 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015 and 393 of the Penal Code of Benue, 2004.

NAN