A 19-year-old girl, Charlotte Delhi, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa by the Department of State Services (DSS) over her alleged involvement in the sharing of a nude video of a former Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Education, Dr. Walton Liverpool on social media.
She was also accused of blackmailing Liverpool, to extort the sum of N15 million him.
The DSS, in the suit numbered FHC/YNG/33C/2021, filed a one-count charge against the defendant, alleging that she engaged in cyber-stalking with the intention of blackmail, which is contrary to Section 24(2)c and punishable under subparagraph (b) of the cybercrime (prohibition, prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
The charge read to the defendant said, “That you, Charlotte Delhi on the 14th day of September, 2021 in Yenagoa within the jurisdiction of this honourable court for the purpose of extorting the sum of N15 million from Dr. Walton Liverpool, intentionally posted a video showing the naked appearance of the said Dr. Walton Liverpool on a WhatsApp group tagged ‘Off Liverpool’ with an Iphone7 plus mobile phone and GSM. No. 08084267342.”
Defendant, Delhi, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Principal Legal Officer of the DSS, Victor Uchendu Esq, a former Attorney-General of Bayelsa State and counsel for the Defendant, A.S. Arthur Esq disagreed on the issue of bail application but agreed that the trial should enjoy accelerated hearing.
Victor Uchendu Esq argued that the defence counsel had just a few hours earlier given him the application for bail process.
He also said the key witness to the case was not in good health condition, therefore, seeking the judge’s leave for adjournment.
“I was served the bail application two hours before the court sitting and there was no time for me to study the weighty allegations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arthur argued that the defence team would have loved for the presiding Judge to hear the application for bail based on the age and gender of the accused.
“She has been in detention for over 13 days,” he noted, adding that the DSS had refused to grant her lawyers access to her.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Isa Dashen however adjourned the suit for hearing to Thursday, October 21, 2021, and ordered that the accused be remanded in the State Correctional Centre in Okaka.
The nude video of Liverpool was allegedly circulated on social media by the accused reportedly after the refusal of her victim to succumb to blackmail.
