Agbonlahor Law Firm situated in GRA, Benin City, has on behalf of its client, Becky Igiebor, based in USA, petitioned the Inspector General of Police(IGP) on a case of threat to life, defamation of character, cyberbullying and impersonation against one Eboni Rachel Osazee Iyonmana.
The law firm stated in its petition as follows: “Our client is a peaceful and law abiding citizen of Federal Republic of Nigeria who at all times protects the image of Nigeria both home and abroad; our client informed us that she has recently been a victim of cyber bullying as a result of negative, hateful, threats, defamatory and malicious messages written about her on social media by one Eboni Rachel Osazee Iyonmana (with Phone No: +19056178041), a Nigerian whose last residential address is known as 11-515 Walkers line, Burlington, ON L7N3V5, Canada and this has caused our client a lot of concern and emotional distress.
Going forth, Agbonlahor Law Firm stressed: “according to our client these messages complained about were sent by the said Rachel using various social media platforms (especially Facebook) and shared same to our clients’ friends and family members face book pages with intent to defame, damage and assassinate our client’s character.
“Further, our client informed us that Rachel has been impersonating her person on Facebook by malicious use of a Facebook account named: Ashawo na Becky Omoregbee-Igiebor and she sends mean messages to others in our client’s contact list in a manner to suggest that it was been sent by our client, an act that is criminal and by this, Rachel blackmailed and present our client to be a prostitute to the general public.
“That the said Rachel has reportedly engaged in acts of making insulting remarks, threats and spreading rumors (falsehood) about our client on social media – especially through Facebook accounts purportedly opened by her with intent to malign, defame and rubbish the person of our client to the whole world, an act contrary to the relevant provisions of Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
“Also, our client briefed us that Rachel has continuously posted embarrassing photos and videos on Facebook to hurt her feelings and that of her family members. That Rachel is in the habit of making derogatory comments about our client just to paint her image in bad light to her contacts on social media for no justifiable reason; to make matter worse, our client told us that Rachel in a bid to continue to bully and threaten her online, registered different Facebook accounts in bad faith with the intention to use it to carry out her criminal acts of obscene publications against our client and family.
“More so, Rachel according to our client is known for this kind of act of bullying innocent Nigerians online and she has been arrested and cautioned severally for same act but refused/neglected to desist from it, an act that is detrimental to the image of Nigerians in diaspora and the country in general; to our client, Rachel’s conduct as a bully and acts of threats has caused her reasonable feel of fear of death, violence and bodily harm due to threats to her life and she is now afraid to travel to Nigeria.
“The reason for all this threats is because our client is related to Rachel’s estranged husband and nothing more; that the threats and acts of continuous cyber bullying by Rachel has gravely affected our client mentally, emotionally and physically that she feel upset, embarrassed, afraid, ashamed and now living in fear that Rachel is likely to go physical to harm her, hence this petition to save her life and personality which has been dragged into public disgrace and disrepute by Rachel.
The law firm urged the IGP to intervene in what it described as ‘life threatening situation’ “and bring the said Rachel to book and prosecute her, as her act is criminal and contrary to the provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015, Criminal Code Act and Penal Code Act in Nigeria.”
