By Ken Chiwendu
The Nasarawa State Judicial Commission has demoted a Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Jatau, over misconduct in the case involving Chioma Okoli and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Jatau was demoted from chief magistrate II to senior magistrate.
The decision of the commission was contained in a letter dated January 6, 2025, and addressed to human rights activist and Okoli’s counsel,Inibehe Effiong.
The letter signed by the Secretary of the commission, Yahaya Shafa.
read “Consequently, I have been directed by the Hon. Chief Judge of Nasarawa State and Chairman, Judicial Service Commission to write and inform you that Hon. Emmanuel A. Jatau has been demoted by a grade level lower than his current grade level, that is, from Chief Magistrate II on GL 15 to Senior Magistrate I on GL 14 and stripped of his magisterial duties,” the commission said.
Okoli’s Journey To Jail
On September 17, 2023, Okoli made a post on Facebook stating that she tasted Nagiko Tomato puree, a brand of Erisco Foods Limited and found it sugary.
Erisco Foods Limited found her claim to be deliberate attempt to injure the reputation of the establishment . The President and Chief Executive Officer of the company,,Eric Umeofia reported the situation to the police .
On September 24, Okoli was arrested as she attended a church near her residence in Lagos. She was detained for 24 hours and flown by the Police to Abuja and slammed with two counts of instigating people against ERISCO foods knowing the information is untrue .
Though, Okoli apologised for her offensive post,her apology fell on deaf ears.
Her arrest sparked outrage on social media as many Nigerians called for her release.
The police had obtained an arrest warrant and remand order from a magistrate court in Masaka, Nasarawa, to that effect.
She was later arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja where she pleaded not guilty to the two counts of conspiracy and cyberstalking.
Okoli was initially remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre but later granted bail.
In a petition to the Nasarawa State Judicial Commission,Effiong argued against the arrest and remand warrants against his client stating that she is not residing in Nasarawa and has never visited the state.
The lawyer also argued that the Magistrate court has no jurisdiction to make order or issue any warrant whatsoever,( whether for search, arrest or demand) for the allegations levelled against the Defendant which border on offences allegedly committed under the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition, Prevention etc,) Act 2015.
“This is simply because cybercrime is not only a federal offence, it is one that the law creating the offence has donated exclusive jurisdiction to the Federal High Court not only for the trial of alleged offenders but also for pre-trial investigative actions.
“We respectfully seek your Lordship’s intervention to investigate and appropriately sanction the assumed Magistrate (Hon. EA Jatau) on his/her involvement in this messy desecration of the judicial process and also invite any other official found culpable for necessary sanction.”
