PDP official who accused Imo gov of giving land to herdsmen charged with terrorism

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) official who accused Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo state, of “secretly approving rural grazing reserves for herdsmen”, has been charged with terrorism,  according to PUNCH.

Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, director general of the new media centre of the opposition party, made the allegation in a Facebook post.

Subsequently, the Imo state government arraigned him in court. The charge sheet marked 0W/217c/2020, stated that Nwaogwugwu, 29, accused the governor of constructing a rural grazing area for herdsmen in the state.

Nwaogwugwu allegedly accused the governor of having plans to rename Imo State University (IMSU), after Abba Kyari, former chief of staff to the president who died from COVID-19 complications.

The governor has since denied the allegation.

It was also alleged that Nwaogwugwu had accused Uzodinma of planning to divert N5.2 billion meant for pensioners in the state.

He was said to have posted all these accusations against the governor on Facebook between March and May 2020.

Nwaogwugwu was arrested and taken into custody by the Department of State Services on May 28, 2020.

On Friday, the defendant was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on terrorism, cyberbullying, defamation, and attempting to incite citizens against the governor.

Part of the charges read: “That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on April 20, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly and intentionally posted on your Facebook wall through a computer network that governor Hope Uzodinma is to rename Imo state university to Abba Kyari university for helping him out in the supreme Court, which you know to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, injury, hatred, ill will and needless anxiety to the governor and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1)(a)(b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc) Act 2015.

“That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on March 23, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly published on your Facebook page that governor Hope Uzodinma has inaugurated an undercover RUGA commissioner and has made available a large expanse of land for the takeoff of the RUGA project in Ngor Okpala which act is deliberately done with malice and which is seriously intended to intimidate Imo population and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(b)(II) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011.”