On September 24, she was arrested.
Nigerian entrepreneur Chioma Okoli is in hot water over scathing comments about ketchup online. The 39-year-old Lagos resident faces jail after the product manufacturer accused her of breaching cybercrime laws and “malicious accusations” that damaged their business. The unusual case sparked outrage in Nigeria, with many believing Ms Okolie was being punished simply for exercising her right to free speech. CNN the report said.
Chioma Okoli, an importer of children’s clothing, asked her for help of 18,000 Facebook On Sept. 17, fans thought of her recently purchased tomato puree substitute. Disappointed by its sweetness, she asked for their opinions.
Ms Okolie’s post, which included a photo of an opened can of “Nagiko Tomato Mix” produced by local company Erisco Foods, elicited mixed reactions from her followers. One comment read: “Stop ruining my brother’s product. If (you) don’t like it, use another product and take it to social media or call customer service.”
Responding to the comment, Ms Okolie wrote: “Help me advise your brother to stop hurting people with his product, yesterday was the first time I used it and it was pure sugar.”
On September 24, she was arrested.
Nigerian police have accused Ms Okolie of using her Facebook posts to incite people against Erisco Foods, according to legal documents reviewed by CNN. In a statement on March 7, they claimed a preliminary investigation had produced “compelling evidence” against her.
According to the police, Okolie faces “charges of inciting Erisco Foods Limited with knowledge of false information under Section 24 (1) (B) of Nigeria’s Cybercrime Prohibition Act”.
If found guilty, she could be sentenced to up to three years in prison, fined 7 million naira (about $5,000), or both.
In addition, as stated in the charge sheet, Ms Okoli faces a separate charge of conspiring with two others “with intent to incite people against Erisco Foods Limited”, punishable under Section 27(1)(B) of the same Act. If found guilty on that charge, she risks seven years in prison.
Ms Okoli is facing a separate civil lawsuit from Erisco, which said in a statement released on January 19 that it was taking legal action after her comments “led to multiple suppliers choosing to sever relationships with us” to protect their reputation.
