Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Federal High Court granted Chioma Okoli bail in the amount of N5 million with two sureties in the same amount on Friday.

Erisco Food Case: Court Grants Okoli N5m Bail

The judge specified that one of the sureties must be the defendant’s spouse or a blood relative with a verifiable source of income who resides within the court’s jurisdiction. Additionally, both sureties are required to submit a passport photograph each. Okoli herself must deposit her international passport, if she possesses one.

Chioma Okoli faces a two-count charge related to cybercrime. The charges stem from a Facebook post she shared on September 17, 2023, where she commented on the quality of Erisco Foods Limited’s tomato paste. Okoli stated that she bought Nagiko Tomato Mix from Erisco Foods and found it excessively sugary. She mentioned that she usually buys Gino or Sonia brands, but they were out of stock that day.

Her post quickly went viral, prompting reactions that led Erisco Foods to involve the police through a petition to the Inspector-General. The controversy also attracted the attention of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). This led NAFDAC to review the product’s registration and conduct a thorough inspection of Erisco Foods’ Nagiko Tomato Mix.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed with the arguments presented by Okoli’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, that the charges against her were bailable offenses. He emphasized that under Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Okoli is presumed innocent until proven guilty. He stated that denying her bail would be an improper exercise of judicial discretion, amounting to pre-trial judgment and judicial overreach.

Justice Lifu also considered Okoli’s health status in his decision to grant bail. Consequently, he granted her bail request and adjourned the case until June 13 for further hearing.

Okoli was arraigned before Justice Lifu on Tuesday. Although she pleaded not guilty to all charges, the judge remanded her in custody until the bail ruling was delivered on Friday.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Abdulrashid Sidi, urged the court to deny the bail application submitted by the defense counsel, Effiong. Sidi argued that based on the defendant’s history, there was a significant risk she would not adhere to the bail terms. He pointed out that Okoli had previously failed to comply with the conditions of an administrative bail, suggesting she might attempt to flee if granted bail.

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