Tobias Sylvester
A bank official identified as Michael Itok has been arrested and remanded in prison for posting articles on his Facebook page considered damaging to Governor Udom Emmanuel and other staff of the Akwa Ibom State Government House.
Michael Itok, who was said to have been arrested over a month ago, was arraigned before a magistrate court in Uyo by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday, November 26, 2019.
The 21-year-old man, who work as a marketer with Prudential Microfinance Bank, was accused of constituting himself into a nuisance “by publishing damaging and annoying articles” on his Facebook page “with the aim of harassing, blackmailing and bringing to disrepute”, the governor and other staff of the Akwa Ibom State Government House.
The charge against him reads, “That you, Mr Michael Itok and another now at large, sometimes in October, 2019 at 1000 Units Housing Estate, Idu Uruan, Uruan Local Government Area, within the Uyo Magisterial District did constitute yourself into a nuisance by publishing damaging and annoying articles on your Facebook page with the aim of harassing, blackmailing and bringing to disrepute His Excellency Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel and other staff of the Akwa Ibom State Government House, and thereby commits and offence punishable under Section 6(1) (f) of the Akwa Ibom State Internal Security and Enforcement Law, 2009.”
Premium Time reports that Mr. Itok has been remanded in the Uyo prison, though reports did not indicate if his plea was taken in court or not.
