Mrs. Shade Noimot Okoye
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday arraigned a 35-year-old woman, Ifeoma Vivian Nwafor, on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and alleged cyberstalking involving Mrs. Folashade Noimat Okoya, the Managing Director of Eleganza Industrial City Limited and wife of billionaire, industrialist and Eleganza founder, Chief Razaq Okoya.
Nwafor, who hails from Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, was accused of using her Instagram accounts to publish what the prosecution described as offensive, false, malicious and calculated material against Folashade Okoya.
The defendant, a graduate of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, however, pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
Following her plea, Justice Deinde Dipeolu granted Nwafor bail in the sum of N3 million, with two sureties in like sum.
The judge, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) pending the perfection of her bail conditions.
Nwafor was arraigned in the charge marked FHC/LAG/CR/819/2026 by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex Alagbon-Ikoyi Lagos, for allegedly conspiring with others still at large and using Instagram to publish what the prosecution described as offensive, false, malicious and calculated material against Folashade Okoya.
When the case was called, Stanley Nwafoaku Esq, announced his appearance for the prosecution, while O. J. Aduwa represented the defendant.
Nwafoaku informed the court that the prosecution had filed a three-count charge and urged the judge to direct that the charges be read to Nwafor for her plea.
After the charges were read, Nwafor pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
Following her plea, the prosecution urged the court to remand Nwafor in custody and adjourn the matter for trial.
However, defence counsel, Aduwa, applied for bail pursuant to Sections 35(4), 36(1) and 36(5) of the Constitution.
Aduwa urged the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms, assuring the court that she would make herself available throughout the trial.
The prosecutor said the prosecution would not oppose the bail application, having regard to the nature of the alleged offences.
In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu granted Nwafor bail in the sum of N3 million, with two sureties in like sum.
The judge stated that the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court, with one of them being a blood relation of the defendant.
The judge further ordered the sureties to provide evidence of three years’ tax payment, their National Identification Numbers (NINs) and photographs.
They were also ordered to depose to affidavits of compliance.
Justice Dipeolu equally directed Nwafor to depose to an affidavit undertaking to make herself available for trial.
The judge, while adjourning the matter until November 8 for trial, ordered that Nwafor be remanded at the Kirikiri Centre of the NCoS pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions.
In the first count, the prosecution alleged that Nwafor and others still at large, sometime in June 2026, at the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, conspired to commit a felony.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant acted with intent to cause “annoyance, injury, fear, intimidation, enmity and/or needless anxiety” to Folashade Okoya.
According to the charge, Nwafor allegedly participated in the publication of offensive, false, malicious and calculated material on Instagram through the handles @cutie_juis and @truestorieswithifeomafa.
The prosecution further alleged that pictures of Folashade Okoya and defamatory material concerning her were published on the internet.
The alleged offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Law of the Federation.
In the second count, the prosecution alleged that Nwafor, operating through the Instagram handle @truestorieswithifeomafans, made an online post containing a statement that was derogatory and calculated to invite “mockery, ridicule, gossip, suspicion and scandal” against Folashade Okoya.
The alleged offence was brought under Section 24(2)(a) and (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
In the third count, the prosecution similarly alleged that Nwafor used an online link to post pictures of Folashade Okoya alongside a statement described as derogatory and calculated to invite mockery, ridicule, suspicion and scandal.
The prosecution said the alleged conduct contravened Section 24(1)(a) and (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Nwafor, however, pleaded not guilty to all the allegations.
She said she attended Christian Council of Nigeria Primary School and Roxton International School before graduating from Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu.
The case has been adjourned till November 8, 2026, for trial.