An Abuja Upper Area Court has remanded businesswoman, Hauwa Muhammed, popularly known as Jaruma in prison over her saga with billionaire Ned Nwoko and Nollywood actress wife, Regina Daniels.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Abuja Upper Area Court will on Friday deliver ruling in a bail application filed by Jaruma after the police charged her with false news publication, intimidation and defamation of character.
The Area court, presided over by Ismailia Abdullahi, also fixed February 23 for trial, before directing that the defendant be remanded in custody in the Suleja Correction Centre.
In his submission, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr E. A Inegbenoise and Chinedu Ogada told the court that the complainant, Nwoko reported the matter through a written petition from his Lawyer to FCT Police Command for proper investigation on January 20.
Inegbenoise, said that the defendant used various social media platforms, particularly through her Instagram handle to publish falsehoods against Nwoko and his wife, Regina to members of the public.
He told the court the defendant gave the false news in order to incite public hatred against Nwoko and his wife to damage their reputation.
Inegbenoise alleged that the defendant through her Instagram handle published that she gave N10 million to Regina Daniels to advertise her illicit product, known as Kayanmata.
The prosecutor further said that the defendant published that the complainant and his wife criminally collected her money but failed to deliver the purported contract which never existed.
Inegbenoise, also alleged that the defendant used the product to corrupt public morality through social media advertisement and other unwholesome activities.
He informed the court that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 392, 393, 397 and 418 of the penal code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution counsel then prayed the court to grant him a date to open his case against the defendant.
The prosecution then prayed the court to remand the defendant in police custody for 7 days.
“This is to enable detectives to interrogate her; and execute a search warrant in her apartments at her residence,’’ Inegbenoise prayed the court.
Mr James Odibe counsel to Muhammed, in an oral application for bail, cited sections 35 and 36 (5) of the 1999 constitution and Section 305, 165 (1) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Odibe told the court that the two parties are celebrities and equally urged the court to grant the defendant bail on self-recognition or in the alternative, in the most liberal terms.
He submitted in addition that the defendant will not jump bail and that she was on police administrative bail.
But the court ruled that Jaruma be remanded in custody with her bail ruling fixed for Friday said her trial fixed for February 23.