A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted Nollywood actress Angela Okorie bail in the sum of ₦5 million over a seven-count charge bordering on alleged cyberstalking, threats and harassment.
Okorie is being prosecuted under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act over allegations that she transmitted offensive and threatening messages via her social media platforms.
The actress was arrested in Lagos on Tuesday by operatives of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department and subsequently remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State following her arraignment.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, prosecuting counsel, Victor Okoye, informed the court that an amended charge dated January 30, 2026, had been filed and served on the defendant. Defence counsel, Ernest Nwoye, confirmed receipt of the amended charge, after which Okorie pleaded not guilty to all seven counts.
According to the charge sheet, the actress allegedly transmitted offensive and threatening messages between 2024 and 2025 through her social media handles, targeting a fellow Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson. The prosecution claimed the messages were capable of causing a breakdown of law and order and posed a threat to the complainant’s life.
One of the counts alleges that Okorie knowingly transmitted messages she knew to be false, with the intent of causing fear and public disorder, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, as amended in 2024. Another count accuses her of making statements intended to bully and harass the complainant, in violation of Section 24(2)(a) of the Act.
While moving the bail application, Nwoye told the court that the motion dated January 29 was supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and a written address, arguing that the defendant is a responsible Nigerian with a known address and no intention of evading trial.
Opposing the application, Okoye said the prosecution filed a counter-affidavit, alleging that Okorie had earlier been granted administrative bail but failed to present herself and her surety as required. He also noted that she was being investigated for other offences that could attract jail terms ranging from three to 10 years.
In response, Nwoye dismissed the claims as misleading, stating that the actress had formally notified the police of her absence due to medical evaluation and had provided medical evidence showing she sustained a bullet wound. He added that she had undertaken to report to the police upon her return to Nigeria.
In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite held that there was no concrete evidence before the court to suggest that the defendant would jump bail. He therefore granted Okorie bail in the sum of ₦5 million with one surety in like sum.
The judge ruled that the surety must be a Grade Level 13 civil servant who must submit an affidavit of means, along with appointment and last promotion letters. The defendant and her surety are also to submit two recent passport photographs each to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
Justice Nwite ordered that Okorie be remanded at the correctional centre pending the perfection of her bail and adjourned the case until March 23, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Elijah Adeyemi
