P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Timothy, was arraigned before the Ejigbo Magistrates Court on Friday on a three-count charged of criminal defamation.
He pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. K.A Ariyo, granted him bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment.
The Court also ordered that one of the sureties must be his blood relation and his address must be verified.
The matter was adjourned till 14th April, 2023, for mention while he was remanded in custody pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.
The defendant, Chucks was arrested by the Police at Isheri Oshun Division of the Lagos State Command following a petition written by Eze Nwokedi and Chief Akpaoyibo.
The complainants alleged that he demanded certain amount of money from them through a text message and when they did not give him, he went on the social media and alleged Eze Nwokedi was a fake king and Akpaoyibo was a ritualist.
The defendant, Timothy who parades himself as a journalist, was actually a photographer and claimed to have worked in Guardian Newspaper some years ago before he was reportedly dismissed from the company.
Since then he was said to be living by dropping names of senior Police officers and VIPs to blackmail and extort money from members of the public.
One of the complainants, Eze Chika Nwokedi, expressed shock over his conduct because he had assisted him in the past and equally benefited from his philanthropic gestures over the years.
He explained that before he became king in Lagos, he came from a royal family because his own father was as well a king in his home town. He expressed his willingness to prosecute the matter to serve as deterrent to others who might try such in the future.