BREAKING: Bayelsa APC Social Media Chief Remanded In Prison For 30 Days Over Facebook Posts

By Prince O. D. Agbedeyi PhD
Global Egberi Media International
Date: September 11, 2025

In a dramatic legal move that has stirred intense debate in Bayelsa State, a magistrate court in Yenagoa on Wednesday ordered the remand of Mr. Aye Egberi, the head of the Social Media team of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for 30 days at the Okaka Medium Correctional Facility.

Egberi, aged 37, faces serious allegations of cyberstalking and defamation against top state officials, including Governor Douye Diri, Bayelsa State Police Commissioner Francis Idu, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

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⚖️ The Charges and Allegations

According to court documents presented before Magistrate Court 14, Egberi was arrested by the crack team of Operation Puff Adder, led by CSP Chris Uwaogbo, over a series of alleged defamatory posts on Facebook.

The publications allegedly accused Governor Diri and CP Francis Idu of masterminding the July abduction of Justice Ebiyerim Umokoro, a judge of the Bayelsa State High Court.

Egberi was further accused of using a fake Facebook account to publish claims that Minister Lokpobiri orchestrated the formation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Bayelsa State — an allegation the Minister’s camp has strongly denied.

Police prosecution counsel, Japhet O. Japhet Esq., told the court that Egberi’s posts were “deliberate attempts to sabotage ongoing efforts by security agencies and the State Government to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted judge.”

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⚠️ National Security and Public Safety Concerns

According to the prosecution, the alleged publications were calculated to ridicule, mock, and threaten top state officials, potentially inciting unrest and endangering lives.

“That the said publication is targeted at endangering the lives of the State Governor, the Police Commissioner and others, thereby causing potential breakdown of law and order,”

— Japhet O. Japhet Esq.

The charge falls under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), which prescribes a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment and a ₦25 million fine upon conviction.

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🏛️ The Court’s Decision

Presiding Magistrate Stanley Ekeru, after hearing arguments, ordered that Egberi be remanded at the Medium Correctional Facility, Okaka, pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and possible arraignment at the High Court.

The ruling has generated heated discussions across Bayelsa’s political space, with APC loyalists calling for Egberi’s release and accusing the state government of clamping down on dissent, while government supporters argue that social media must not be used as a tool for incitement and destabilization.

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📊 Broader Implications

The case has once again put a spotlight on freedom of speech vs. responsible use of social media in Nigeria. Activists are watching closely to see whether the trial will set a precedent for how politically sensitive online speech is treated under the amended cybercrime law.

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Author: Prince O. D. Agbedeyi PhD
Publisher: Global Egberi Media International

🌐 Website: https://globalegberi.blogspot.com
📧 Email: globalegberimedia@gmail.com
📞 Nigeria: +234 813 490 2214

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#Bayelsa #AyeEgberi #APC #GovernorDiri #CybercrimeAct #PoliticalRights #GlobalEgberi