Trial of Chioma Okoli Over Erisco Foods Cyberstalking Case Set to Begin

The trial of Mrs Chioma Edoka Okoli in the cyberstalking case filed against her by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is set to begin on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The case, which drew both national and international condemnation in 2023, stems from Okoli’s social media post criticising Nagiko Tomato Mix, a tomato puree manufactured by Erisco Foods Limited.

Her arrest and detention at the time sparked widespread outrage, with many Nigerians and human rights groups condemning the police’s actions as an attack on free speech.

Okoli, who reportedly lost her pregnancy during the ordeal, has faced repeated adjournments and procedural delays over the past two years. The case is now scheduled to proceed before Hon. Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Judicial Division.

Chioma is being represented by prominent human rights lawyer and Secretary of the Citizens’ Liberties Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Inibehe Effiong, who has consistently maintained that the charges are politically motivated and a violation of her constitutional rights.