After being kept in police detention for 17 days, Rotimi Jolayemi, aka Oba Akewi, an Osun-based journalist has been charged for actions deemed to cause annoyance and insulting towards the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Five days ago, Segun Adeyemi, Mr Mohammed’s spokesman had denied that the Minister caused Mr Jolayemi’s arrest, according to Punch newspaper.
The journalist was arrested for reading a poem during a radio programme which the Minister considered critical of him, Sahara Reporters reported. Before Mr Jolayemi turned himself in on May 6, there were reports that Mrs Dorcas Jolayemi and two of the media practitioner’s brothers, John and Joseph, were locked up for eight, nine and two days respectively.
In the charge sheet, according to Punch newspaper, the police said the act contravenes Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015.
“That you, Jolayemi Oba Akewi, male, aged 43 years on or about the 14th day of April 2020 at Osolo Compound Ekan Nla, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did send audio message through your android phone device to a group WhatsApp platform known as ‘Ekan Sons and Daughters’ and which went viral immediately after it was posted for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, hatred and ill will to the current Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 24(1)(b) of the cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention etc) Act 2015.”
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