Chioma Okoli, who has been incarcerated since 2023 for allegedly posting a review of tomato paste, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
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The ruling, dated Friday, May 31, 2024, was made by Justice Peter Lifu, who granted the defendant bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in the same amount.
According to the judge’s ruling, one of the sureties must be either Chioma’s husband or a blood relative with a documented income, residing within the court’s jurisdiction.
Additionally, the sureties are required to deposit their passport photographs, despite Chioma’s earlier directive to surrender her international passport and refrain from leaving the country without jurisdiction.
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Justice Lifu deemed the allegations against Chioma as bailable offenses and scheduled the next hearing for June 13, 2024.
The decision to grant bail came shortly after Chioma’s lawyer revealed that she had tragically lost her pregnancy due to the strain of the case over the past few months. The court took this into consideration in their decision-making process.
Chioma’s case has garnered attention and raised concerns about freedom of expression in Nigeria, with many advocating for her release. As she awaits further proceedings, the granting of bail offers a glimmer of hope for Chioma and her supporters.
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