Abuja, March 28: Nigerian businesswoman Chioma Okoli is in soup after sharing a harsh internet review of a tomato puree. The 39-year-old Lagos resident faces jail time after the product's manufacturer filed a case against her, claiming that she had broken cybercrime laws and hurt their company through her 'malicious allegation'. Many in Nigeria are outraged by this rare case and think Okoli is being punished for expressing her right to free expression, CNN reported.
On September 17, Chioma Okoli, an importer of children's clothes, asked her 18,000 Facebook fans what they thought of a tomato puree alternative she had just bought. Feeling let down by its sweetness, she asked for their thoughts. Fake Review Factories Running on Multiple Facebook Groups Fooling Online Amazon Shoppers.
Based on legal documents obtained by CNN, Okoli is accused by Nigerian authorities of using her Facebook post to incite people against Erisco Foods. They asserted that "compelling evidence" was found against her in a statement released on March 7. Okoli was charged by the police with "instigating Erisco Foods Limited, under Section 24 (1) (B) of Nigeria's Cyber Crime Prohibition Act, with knowledge that the information was false." Kerala Police Register First Case Against Negative Reviews of Malayalam Film ‘Rahel Makan Kora’; Facebook, YouTube Among Nine Charged.
She faces a maximum penalty of three years in jail, a fine of seven million naira, or about $5,000, or both if found guilty. In addition, according to the charge sheet, Okoli is charged separately with collaborating with two other people "with the intention of inciting people against Erisco Foods Limited," a crime punishable under Section 27(1)(B) of the same statute. She faces a seven-year jail sentence if she is found guilty of this offence. Erisco launched a separate civil case against Okoli, claiming in a statement issued on January 19 that they were defending their name after her comments "led to several suppliers choosing to sever ties with us."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2024 02:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).