Nollywood Actress Angela Okorie Held in Suleja Prison Pending Bail Over Alleged Defamation of Mercy Johnson
Nigerian film star Angela Okorie has been remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered her detention following her arraignment on charges related to alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation involving fellow actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie.
Okorie was arrested in her Lagos residence by operatives from the Nigeria Police Force’s National Cybercrime Centre and taken to Abuja, where she appeared in court on Wednesday. She pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge that accuses her of conspiring with another person, identified as Ifeoma Mbonu (currently at large), to publish defamatory and harmful content about Mercy Johnson on social media platforms. Prosecutors say the posts included statements intended to damage Johnson’s reputation and cause emotional distress, a violation of the country’s Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
At the hearing, Okorie’s lawyer, Senior Advocate Alex Ejesieme, argued that she had not been given sufficient time to prepare her defence and was only handed the charge shortly before proceedings began. He also noted that Okorie had been arrested in Lagos and transported to Abuja without prior notice, and that he had been denied adequate access to his client.
Justice Emeka Nwite refused an oral bail application and ordered that Okorie remain in custody at the Suleja facility until a formal bail hearing scheduled for January 30. Both the defence and prosecution were directed to file necessary legal documents ahead of that hearing.
The case stems from a petition filed by Mercy Johnson’s legal team, alleging that Okorie’s social media posts were malicious and aimed at harming the actress’s reputation. At the time of publication, neither Okorie nor Mercy Johnson has issued an official public statement about the court proceedings.
