The federal government on Monday opened its case against social media activist and influencer, Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of cybercrime and related offences under the Cybercrime Act.
Chidiebere was arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on an amended three-count charge and pleaded not guilty to all counts.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution’s first witness, Oronto Douglas, continued his testimony, telling the court that audio and video recordings obtained during the defendant’s interview had been downloaded onto a flash drive and that he had signed a certificate of compliance.
However, defence counsel objected to the admissibility of the flash drive evidence, arguing that its contents could not be independently verified and should not be played in its current form.
Justice Abdulmalik faulted the prosecution for failing to properly apply to the court for a playback device to enable the evidence to be viewed in open court.
The prosecution responded that an application had been made to the deputy chief registrar requesting the equipment, but the court held that such a request should have been directed to the head of the court’s Information Technology department.
Following the exchange, defence counsel urged the court to maintain the bail conditions earlier granted to the defendant. The prosecution raised no objection, and the court affirmed the existing bail terms.
The matter was subsequently adjourned until September 28 for continuation of trial.
Chidiebere was earlier released from custody after weeks of detention following public concern over his reported disappearance.
He was first declared missing in April 2026 after allegedly dropping his child at school in Abuja and failing to return home, prompting his family to raise alarm.
The Nigerian Army later confirmed that he had been in military custody, stating that he was arrested over viral social media videos allegedly showing soldiers complaining about poor welfare and feeding conditions.
The Army said the content was capable of inciting personnel and undermining national security before transferring him to civil authorities for prosecution.
He was subsequently arraigned by the Department of State Services (Department of State Services) on charges including cybercrime and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.
After regaining freedom, Chidiebere thanked Nigerians, journalists, and rights advocates who spoke out during his detention, insisting his actions were not intended to destabilise national institutions.
The cybercrime trial is expected to continue at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
