Erisco foods: Court grants Chioma Okoli N5m bail few days after ‘suffering miscarriage’

• Tomato paste reviewer, Chioma Okoli has been granted bail of 5 million Naira by the federal high court, Abuja, just days after she allegedly miscarried.
• This comes after she made a review of tomato paste brand, Erisco, in September 2023, which led to a barrage of comments.
• Chioma Okoli was then accused of defaming the company with her review, arrested and charged to court.

After spending three nights in prison, Chioma Okoli, who is being prosecuted by the police for her critical review of an Erisco Foods product was on Friday, May 31 granted N5 million bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The police charged her with cybercrime offences over her review of a tomato paste produced by Erisco Foods Limited, which she shared on Facebook on September 17, 2023. The authorities accused her of defaming Erisco, following a complaint by the company.

Mrs Okoli was remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre, near Abuja, on Tuesday, after she was arraigned on two charges before the trial judge, Peter Lifu.

In a ruling dated Friday, May 31, 2024, Justice Peter Lifu granted the defendant N5 million bail with two sureties in the same amount.

The judge ruled that one surety must be her husband or a blood relative with a documented income and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

He further ruled that the sureties must deposit their passport photographs, despite Chioma’s orders to surrender her international passport and refrain from leaving the country without jurisdiction.

Justice Lifu stated that the allegations against her are bailable, and scheduled the next hearing to 13th June.

This followed a few days after her lawyer and husband confirmed that Okoli, unfortunately lost her pregnancy because of the strain the case had on her over the past few months.

The defendant’s husband, Chizoba Okoli, recounted his wife’s ordeal at the hands of the police and Erisco Foods Limited management since September 2023.

Mr Okoli told journalists after Friday’s hearing in Abuja that his wife had been through “emotional trauma” that caused her a miscarriage.

He said his wife’s incessant arrest and incarceration by the police brought their family immeasurable pain.

Similarly, the defence lawyer repeatedly accused the police of violating Mrs Okoli’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression and liberty.