An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin on Monday adjourned the trial of Mr Paul Okungbowa, the 2024 governorship candidate of the Young People’s Party (YPP), who is facing charges of alleged cyberstalking.
The case, marked No. B/CD/208C/2025, was adjourned by Justice Rita Irele-Ifijeh to November 21, 2025, following the absence of both the defendant and his legal counsel during the court session.
During proceedings, Mrs E. E. Ageloisa announced her appearance on behalf of the nominal complainant, whilst the defendant remained absent and unrepresented.
The State Counsel, in her oral application, informed the court that preliminary investigations revealed that the case had not yet been officially assigned to a substantive counsel from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
She therefore requested that a hearing notice be served on both the DPP’s office and the defendant to enable proper representation at the next sitting.
Granting the application, Justice Irele-Ifijeh ordered that the notices be duly served and adjourned the matter to November 21, 2025, for further hearing.
It would be recalled that Mr Okungbowa, proprietor of the Benin-based Calvary Crown Academy, was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison by an Oredo Chief Magistrate Court in December 2024.
He was found guilty of negligence and defamation after allegedly calling a pupil’s mother a prostitute in the presence of her husband at Zone 5, Benin City—an act considered likely to cause a breach of public peace.
Chief Magistrate Mrs Carolina Oghuma sentenced Okungbowa to six months’ imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine, whilst three of his teachers—Blessing Osarodion, Egharevba Esosa, and Isioma Nimen—were convicted for negligence and abandonment of pupils, which led to harm and exposure to danger.
Following his conviction, Okungbowa allegedly took to Facebook to make defamatory posts against Mr Steve Aigbudu and his wife, accusing them of bribing the Magistrate to secure his conviction.
Those posts reportedly prompted the present cyberstalking charges now before the Edo High Court.
