The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned two content creators, Mr Justice Ozibo and Mr Isaac Edeh, over alleged malicious and unsubstantiated publications concerning the command and the Commissioner of Police.
The case followed a social media publication by Ozibo alleging that the Commissioner of Police collected ₦700,000 from each of six families to secure the release of their relatives in connection with a purported land dispute involving a traditional ruler.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, described the allegation as false and challenged the publisher to provide evidence to support the claim.
According to the command, discreet investigations led to the arrest of Ozibo and Edeh, with Ozibo reportedly identifying Edeh as the source of the information.
The police said the two suspects were unable to provide evidence of the alleged payments or identify anyone to whom the money was purportedly paid.
The command further clarified that the underlying matter involved a petition bordering on alleged malicious damage and that the persons concerned were subsequently charged to court rather than released on police bail.
The Ebonyi Police Command said it remains committed to allowing lawful criticism and genuine complaints against its personnel, but warned that it would take legal action against individuals who deliberately publish information it considers false or malicious and capable of undermining public confidence in the police.
The command urged members of the public and content creators to verify information before publishing allegations against individuals or institutions.
