A teenager, Charlotte Delhi, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Yenagoa over cyber stalking by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Delhi was arrested for circulating the nude video of Dr Walton Liverpool a retired Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa Ministry of Education. Her charge reads: “That you, Charlotte Delhi, on the 14th day of September, 2021 in Yenagoa within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court for the purpose of extorting the sum of 15 Million from Dr. Walton Liverpool, intentionally posted a video showing the naked appearance of the said Dr. Walton Liverpool on a whatsapp group tagged “Off Liverpool ” with an Iphone7 plus mobile phone and GSM. No. 08084267342.”
Investigations revealed that the defendant had allegedly recorded the video when she and Liverpool met at a hotel in Yenagoa and demanded for the sum of N15 million.
According to the DSS, the defendant had on Sept 14 made and circulated nude images of the retired permanent secretary and circulated the same on social media contrary to the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act of 2015.
Delhi however pleaded not guilty to the charges and immediately her counsel, Andrew Arthur, applied for her bail arguing that she has been in DSS custody for 13 days.
Arthur who told the presiding judge, Justice Isa Hamma Adama Dashen that the defendant had earlier been arraigned for criminal defamation and granted bail by a Bayelsa High Court added that rather than obey the court order, DSS decided to arraign before the court for another offence.
In opposing the bail application, the prosecution counsel Mr Victor Uchendu said that he was served the bail application in the courtroom and needs time to study it and respond to the issues raised therein.
Justice Dashen remanded the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Yenagoa until Oct 21 to hear the bail application following the request of prosecution to study theapplication for possible grounds to oppose it.
