A Nigerian activist working in South Africa was imprisoned for defaming Emeka Offor

Boniface Okonkwo, a Nigerian activist residing in South Africa, was given an 18-month jail term by the Anambra State High Court in Nnewi for defaming Sir Emeka Offor, the chairman of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

The court was presided over by Justice Vincent Agbata, who convicted Okonkwo of making defamatory remarks on the Oraifite community WhatsApp platform, of which he and Offor are both members.

The aforementioned comment denigrated Offor’s meter production plant, calling it a “void warehouse.”

Instead of putting Okonkwo in jail, the judge gave him the choice to pay a N500,000 fine. Offor’s accusation, which resulted in Okonkwo’s initial arrest and imprisonment in January 2024, was the basis for the charges. A phone call that was purportedly made by Okonkwo and that connected him to the defamatory post using a Truecaller identity was one of the prosecution’s main pieces of evidence.

The prosecution’s evidence was deemed adequate for conviction by Justice Agbata. He emphasised that both males are members of the same WhatsApp group and are from Oraifite. The dispute started as a result of a high-profile community event that included the vice president of Nigeria’s visit. The purportedly disparaging remarks surfaced two days following the occurrence.

S.I. Okonkwo, the defence attorney, had conflicting thoughts regarding the ruling. He expressed displeasure with the decision but admitted relief over the fine option. He maintained that the prosecution had not proven that Okonkwo was the creator of the particular defamatory allegation or that Offor directly owned the metre plant.

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