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Nigerian woman faces jail after reviewing tomato puree online
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Chioma Okoli, a 39-year-old entrepreneur from Lagos, is being prosecuted and sued in civil court for allegedly breaching the country’s cybercrime laws, in a case that has gripped the West African nation and sparked protests by locals who believe she is being persecuted for exercising her right to free speech.
Okoli, a small-scale importer of children’s wear, told CNN that on September 17 she asked her 18,000 followers on Facebook to share their opinions about a tomato puree she bought in place of her usual brands, saying she found it too sweet.
Her post, accompanied by a photo of an opened can of Nagiko Tomato Mix, produced by local company Erisco Foods Limited, sparked varied reactions from commenters, one of whom replied: “Stop spoiling my brother’s product. If (you) don’t like it, use another one than bring it to social media or call the customer service.”
Okoli responded: “Help me advise your brother to stop ki***ing people with his product, yesterday was my first time of using and it’s pure sugar.”
A week later, on September 24, she was arrested.
In legal filings seen by CNN, the Nigeria Police Force alleged that Okoli used her Facebook account “with the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods,” adding in a statement on March 7 that it had “unearthed compelling evidence” against her from its preliminary investigations.
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According to the police, Okoli was charged with “instigating Erisco Foods Limited, knowing the said information to be false under Section 24 (1) (B) of Nigeria’s Cyber Crime Prohibition Act.”
If found guilty, she could face up to three years in jail or a fine of 7 million naira (around $5,000), or both.
Okoli was separately charged with conspiring with two other individuals “with the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods Limited,” which the charge sheet noted was punishable under Section 27(1)(B) of the same act. She risks a seven-year sentence if convicted of this charge.
CNN has reached out to Facebook for comment.
Okoli is also being sued in a separate civil case brought by Erisco, which said in a statement issued on January 19 that it was defending its reputation after her comments “resulted in several suppliers deciding to disassociate themselves from us.”
The Lagos-based food company said it also “suffered the loss of multiple credit lines” and had therefore filed a civil lawsuit against Okoli that sought 5 billion naira (more than $3 million) in damages. This case is due to be heard on May 20, her lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, told CNN.
A spokesman for Erisco Foods, Nnamdi Nwokolo, told CNN the company would not speak further on the case “because it is pending in a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Public apology required
Okoli, who’s currently pregnant with her fourth child, told CNN she was arrested by plainclothes police while she was in church in Lagos and detained in a leaky police cell.
“I was put in the cell around 6 p.m. (on September 24). There were no seats, so I stood all through till the next day. My legs were inside the water (that came in from the leaking roof). Sometimes, I squatted to reduce the pressure on my legs. I was thinking about my children who were at home. I was talking to myself. I would think, I would pray, I was messed up,” she said.
The following day, Okoli was flown to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and held at a police station until her release on administrative bail was finalized a day later, she said.
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Agreeing to apologize publicly to Erisco was a condition of her release on bail, she said, but her lawyer, Effiong, told CNN she agreed to this under duress and therefore did not apologize after her release.
The police filed their case against Okoli in an Abuja court on October 5.
The first court hearing took place on December 7. She was represented by her lawyer but did not attend in person.
Okoli told CNN that a month later, on January 9, police entered her Lagos home and attempted to arrest her, despite a restraining order issued by a court on November 8 barring her arrest without a court order. CNN has seen a copy of the restraining order.
“They stayed in my building from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. My children couldn’t go to school that day and we couldn’t go out to get food because the cooking gas was finished,” she said. Eventually, she said, the police left.
National police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi told CNN he could not comment on the case as the matter was in court.
“We will comment on the case when the court decides,” Adejobi said.
Countersuit against police and food company
Effiong told CNN that Okoli’s legal team was now gearing up for the two legal cases, which he described as a David vs. Goliath battle.
“In this case, we believe that David is right, and Goliath is wrong,” Effiong said.
In October, he filed a 500 million naira ($361,171) countersuit on behalf of Okoli against both Erisco and the police at a Lagos court, challenging her arrest and detention, which he said violated her constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
In court papers relating to the countersuit, Effiong argued that his client’s arrest was also a breach of her constitutional right to freedom of expression. He said that he would also ask the Abuja court where she is being tried for cybercrime violations to transfer the case to Lagos, where she lives, at the next hearing, set for April 18.
Hard to prove
Nigerian legal and public affairs analyst Kelechukwu Uzoka told CNN that there are limits to the freedom of speech defense.
“No law guarantees absolute freedom,” he said. “While we have our freedom of expression, there are limitations. You can’t defame or malign someone.”
However, he added that “cybercrime is difficult to prove in court. You have to prove actual harm when the post was made. Erisco must prove that the Facebook post (by Okoli) affected its business as at the point it was made.” He noted that in Okoli’s post, she used a word with three asterisks, which could be open to interpretation.
“Harassment and intimidation of Chioma Okoli must end now,” Amnesty International Nigeria said earlier this month, as Nigerians began crowdfunding online to support her legal fees.
Okoli’s case has sparked protests at Erisco’s Lagos facility as many on social media called for a boycott of its products. The company’s founder, Eric Umeofia, refused to budge, however, saying in a recent documentary on the local Arise Television channel that he won’t drop the lawsuit against Okoli and that he would “rather die than allow someone to tarnish my image I worked 40 years to grow.”
Reactions have trailed to trail the disclosure by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of N100,000 following recent welfare reforms by the Federal Government.
Veterans and serving personnel have described the amount as grossly inadequate in the face of Nigeria’s rising cost of living, while some accused the Federal Government of failing to implement a more substantial salary review promised months ago.
The criticism comes amid renewed concerns over troop welfare, military funding, and the effectiveness of efforts to boost morale among personnel battling insecurity across the country.
A retired soldier, Abdul Isiak, argued that the current salary falls far short of what is needed to meet basic living expenses.
“It is not enough at all. What is N100,000 in the current situation of the country? It cannot go far. They should do better. If soldiers are paid more, they will be more motivated and committed to their duties,” he said.
Another retired military officer, Sergeant Zaki Williams, questioned the accuracy of the figure disclosed by the minister and described the amount as inadequate for personnel who risk their lives in service to the nation.
“I doubt if they are even paying up to that amount now. Even if they are, it is too little. Any government paying a soldier N100,000 in today’s economy is not serious enough about the welfare of its troops,” he said.
Williams noted that soldiers face enormous challenges and deserve better remuneration and working conditions.
Also reacting, the Coordinator of the Coalition for Concerned Veterans, Abiodun Herbert-Durowaye, said the salary does not reflect the sacrifices made by military personnel.
“How can that be sufficient for someone putting his life on the line for the country? Consider the cost of food, housing, transportation, and children’s education. N100,000 is far from adequate for those responsible for protecting the nation’s peace and security,” he stated.
The reactions followed comments by the Minister of Defence during an interview with News Central, where he disclosed that the minimum monthly salary of soldiers had increased from N49,000 to N100,000 under the current administration.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has made deliberate efforts to improve troop welfare despite funding challenges facing the military.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.
Musa, however, acknowledged that the defence sector remains underfunded and requires greater financial support to effectively address the country’s security challenges.
The minister also advocated stricter penalties for kidnapping, including the possibility of introducing the death penalty for convicted kidnappers, arguing that stronger deterrents are necessary to curb the growing wave of abductions across the country.
The debate over soldiers’ welfare comes at a time when the military continues to confront multiple security threats, with stakeholders insisting that improved remuneration, better equipment, and enhanced welfare packages are critical to boosting morale and operational effectiveness.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that travellers in the United States seeking Nigerian visas must now submit their applications directly at Nigerian diplomatic missions following the termination of its contract with a third-party visa processing company.
The new directive, which takes immediate effect, ends the role previously played by Online Integrated Solutions (OIS Services), which had been responsible for receiving and processing Nigerian visa applications through its centres across the United States.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said visa applicants are now required to submit their documents directly at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., or at the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta until further notice.
The immigration service did not state the reason for ending its partnership with OIS Services.
However, Akinlabi assured applicants that adequate measures have been put in place at the embassy and consulates to ensure a smooth transition. He added that visa submission, processing and approval would continue without disruption.
He also urged prospective travellers to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian diplomatic missions in the United States for updates on visa application procedures.
A Professor of Economics and Governance, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, has called on South African Government to take active responsibility of protecting foreigner and desist from ‘compromising inaction’.
Uba, Chairman of the ACUF Initiative for Policy and Governance, made the call on Thursday in Enugu in a statement he titled: “South Africa Is Playing with Fire, and Its Elites Are Holding the Match”.
He said that the lack of intentional action against the individuals and groups perpetrate the xenophobic attacks, who are non-state actors, raises serious questions under international law.
The don noted that “protection of non-nationals is a clear obligation, not a discretionary act.”
According to him, persistent failure to uphold this responsibility undermines both legal commitments and diplomatic credibility.
Uba said that the implications of the development extend far beyond South Africa, adding that it would have economically, politically and diplomatically consequences both to the country and Africa in general.
He noted that economically, the country is not just another market.
“It is a continental anchor. Its financial systems, industrial base, and regional linkages make it central to African growth.
“Prolonged instability would ripple outward, constraining trade, deterring investment, and weakening regional integration,” he said.
On the Political aspect, he said that South Africa had long been seen as a model of democratic transition and constitutionalism.
“If that model begins to fracture, it sends a powerful signal across the continent.
“It emboldens those who argue that institutional democracy cannot deliver, and it weakens reformist voices elsewhere,” he said.
Uba said that diplomatically, xenophobic violence is not a domestic issue when it targets foreign nationals.
He said, “It is an international concern that tests regional solidarity and diplomatic patience.
“Each episode forces other African governments to respond, balancing domestic outrage with the need to preserve bilateral relations.”
The don noted that over time, the balance in the country would becomes harder to maintain as non-state actors would be emboldened to perpetrate other unlawful acts as they view the government as weak or inactive.
The Apex sociocultural youth organization of the Igbo race worldwide, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has described the current arrest made by the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offence (ICPC) against former Minister of Science and Technology and the 2027 People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Enugu State, Hon. Uche Nnaji, regarding his certificate, as a deliberate political witch-hunt orchestrated by the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Gov. Peter Mbah.
In a press address in Enugu on Wednesday, 8th July 2026, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), called on Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to maintain the commission’s ethical standards, threatening to seek his removal if evidence confirms the alleged bias of ICPC in favor of Governor Peter Mbah against Hon. Uche Nnaji regarding the 2027 Guber election.
*The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) revealed that the fight against Hon. Uche Nnaji is a battle for the Enugu Governorship and the “Lions Building Seat” in 2027, and dismissed the certificate forgery allegations against Uche Nnaji as a political distraction and blackmail.*
The surreptitious entry into the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to obtain a court order detaining Hon Uche Nnaji is a teleguided executive overreach attributed to Gov Peter Mbah apparently aimed at silencing Hon Uche Nnaji, which is highly censurable.
The Council stated that “A court of competent jurisdiction is presently handling the unsubstantiated certificate forgery case, and the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Hon Uche Nnaji have opted for an out-of-court settlement, following recent findings of misinformation.
Therefore, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), should maintain a neutral stance regarding the Enugu State Governorship battle to preserve his reputation built through his legal career and public service, and avoid being perceived as succumbing to Governor Peter Mbah’s alleged attempts to utilize executive power to blackmail and witch-hunt Hon. Uche Nnaji.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) warned Governor Peter Mbah to concentrate on fulfilling his unfulfilled campaign promises to Enugu State rather than chasing Hon Uche Nnaji through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
Families displaced by the recent fire outbreak in the Asata area of Enugu have received immediate relief from the Enugu State Government following the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah, who directed that palliative support be provided to ease their suffering.
Chairman of the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA), Chinasa Mbah, disclosed that the agency promptly delivered the relief materials in compliance with the governor’s directive.
“We have given them some palliative as directed by His Excellency. Our report has equally gone in, and we await further instructions,” Mbah said.
She explained that ESEMA has completed its assessment of the incident and submitted its recommendations to the state government, adding that additional assistance for the affected families will depend on the governor’s approval of the agency’s report.
The swift response underscores Governor Mbah’s commitment to standing with citizens in times of distress. The victims, whose homes and belongings were destroyed in the fire that gutted two flats in a two-storey building on Church Road, Asata, are expected to receive further support as the government considers ESEMA’s recommendations.
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