THE INSPECTOR GENERAL of Police (IGP) has filed charges against seven persons at a Federal High Court in Abuja following a complaint by Hon. Philip Agbese, a member of the House of Representatives, for allegedly conspiring to publish on Facebook false and defamatory statements against him.
Court documents obtained by National Record indicate that the charges with number FHC/ABJ/CB/103/2025, and documented as a suit between IGP vs the defendants, is filed under the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), bothering on allegations that the seven defendants used their verified Facebook accounts to propagate false and damaging information that Agbese demanded a $150 million bribe from Binance.
The defendants include Obeya Dankwambo Jnr, Michael Agbo, Agih Melvin, Paul Ochigbo, Abah Isaiah, Jubrin Ben Ekwote and Andrew Paul Audu, who is said to be at large.
The matter, National Record gathered, was initially filed at an Abuja Magistrate’s court until Thursday, April 10, 2025, when the police withdrew the matter for refiling and arraignment at a Federal High Court, Abuja Division.
Following the withdrawal of the suit from the magistrate’s court, one of the defendants, Jubrin Ben Ekwote, a former legislative aide to Hon Agbese, was re-arrested and had since been held in detention at the Force Headquarters without prosecution.
A source well-informed on the matter told National Record in confidence that efforts were being made to release Ekwote following rapprochement between him and his former boss.
Efforts to confirm this from Agbese, who is fondly called by his associates and followers as ‘Okanga’, failed as several calls, and later sms, to his mobile number written on his statement of complaint attached to court documents, did not go through.
Our source revealed that the police will formally file the charges before a Federal Judge on Wednesday in Abuja.
Political implications for Agbese
The case has significant political ramifications for Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives.
The matter, as it lingers, may thrust Hon. Agbese into the spotlight, as political analysts speculate that the case could impact his political fortunes in his constituency or party, depending on the outcome.
While the police are expected to formally arraign the defendants on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, observers will be watching closely to see how the case unfolds and whether it will negatively affect Agbese’s political trajectory ahead 2027 electioneering.
While the matter, now subject to legal scrutiny, has expectedly inspired debates in political circles in Benue, and Idoma-speaking geopolitical zone, most particularly in Hon. Agbese’s federal constituency, it is also likely to spark national debate about freedom of expression and the criminalization of dissenting viewpoints.
Details of the charges
The eight-count charge sheet, dated March 20, 2025, and obtained by National Record, outline how the defendants allegedly conspired to tarnish Agbese’s reputation by re-circulating Binance bribery allegations against Hon. Agbese and three of his colleagues.
The eight-count charge by the police read:
“COUNT ONE: That you (1) Obeya Dankwambo Jnr, Micheal Agbo, [sic] Agith Melvin, [sic] Paul Ochigbo, Abah Isaiah, Jubrin Ben Ekwote and Andrew Paul Audu now still at large sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: intentionally sent a message via your face book pages handles “Obeya dankwambo jnr” “Elvin Agih” “jubriloche ben ekwote” “paul ochigbo”, “abah Isaiah” and “Michael agbo” send false messages through your verified Facebook accounts and cause a publication to be made against Honourable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative of Nigeria where you alleged him of demanding the sum of $150,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Million United State Dollars) bribe, the representation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27(1)(b) and punishable under Section 24(2)(c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, prevention, etc) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT TWO: That you (1) Obeya Dankwambo Jnr, (2) Micheal Agbo, (3) Agith Melvin, [sic] (4) Paul Ochigbo, (1) Abah Isaiah, (2) Jubrin Ben Ekwote and (3) Andrew Paul Audu now at large, sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified Facebook accounts pages handles “obeyadankwambojnr” “Elvin Agih” “jubriloche ben ekwote” “paul ochigbo”, “abah Isaiah” and “Michael agbo” and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative of Nigeria where you alleged him of demanding the sum of $150,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Million United State Dollars) bribe, the representation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, Act 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT THREE: That you Obeya Dankwambo Jnr, sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified Facebook accounts Obeya Dankwambo Jnr and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative where you alleged and stated that “why will Hon. Philip Agbese demand N150 Million naira to cover up crime? This is a shame to Enone.” The publication you made for the purpose of inciting the public, and his constituent he represent against him, which you know to be false. And you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) (ii) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT FOUR: That you jubril Oche Ben Ekwote, sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified face book accounts “jubril Oche Ben Ekwote” and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative where you stated “Because petitions are already coming frm CSO’s to NASS to et [sic] up and ad-hoc com’mtee to probe d $150m bribery allegation, they quikly rush [sic] to court to tie down d case & buy time, to avoid probe & embarrassment by d House. We all know that d House can’t probe a matter dat is b4 a court. Smart move!! for the purpose of cause annoyance, inconvenience, danger and obstruction, the statement which you know to be falsed. you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT FIVE: That you jubril Oche Ben Ekwote, [sic] sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified face book accounts “jubril Oche Ben Ekwote” [sic] and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative where you stated that “X-Raying THE INDICTING PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE HOR MEMBER IN DEFENSE OF HIS ALLEGED INVOLMENT IN THE BENANCE $150M BRIBE SAGA. Las sentence of paragraph 1 the allegation that I am among those that demande…” [sic] for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger and obstruction, the statement which you know to be falsed. [sic] you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT SIX: That you Paul Ochigbo, sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified face book accounts “Paul Ochigbo” and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative where you stated that “Just inn [sic] FBI and CIA interested in the Binance Bribery saga possible repatriation of the three wise men details…” for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger and obstruction, the statement which you know to be falsed. [sic] you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT SEVEN: That you MICHAEL ABGO, sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified face book accounts “Michael Abgo” [sic] and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member House of Representative where you stated that “what have we done to deserve this national and international disgrace? Even when we couldn’t measured [sic] up to others constituents, we were solidly behind you but see what you brought us.. watin you wan use N150m do? You wnt contest for Governor abi senate?” for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger and obstruction, the statement which you know to be falsed. you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.
“COUNT EIGHT: That you MICHAEL ABGO, sometime in February, 2025 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally and knowingly send false messages through your verified face book accounts “Michael Abgo” [sic] and cause a publication to be made against Honorable Philip Agbese, member “House of Representative where you stated that? “Benance [sic] boss enogh [sic] Evidence loading……” for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger and obstruction, the statement which you know to be falsed. [sic] you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended 2024.”
The prosecution, led by Rabiu Umar Usman Esq. and Muhammad Buhari Esq., intends to rely on testimonies from witnesses, including Hon. Agbese himself, Benedict Aguck, and Prince Oriri Oche Rechard, who reportedly saw the defamatory posts.
Agbese’s statement to the police
38-year-old Agbese had on February 24, 2025, in a statement of complaint to the Nigeria Police, and which is part of the exhibits filed in court, narrated how shocked he was to hear the allegation against him and three of his colleague lawmakers by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Cryptocurrency firm.
“That I woke up on the 14th of February, 2025 to a breaking news that one Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Cryptocurrency has mentioned my name in a 150 million Dollar bribery scam during a meeting with me and 3 other lawmakers in the National Assembly.
“I was shocked and totally confused as no such thing had happened between me and anyone since my election into the parliament at the age of 36. I therefore reached out to my mentors and lawyers to inform them about the news which was published by not less than 1,000 news blogs and retweeted by many of my constituents. That I came out boldly within the same hour with a rebuttal to (disown) disagree vehemently with the claims made by the Binance Executive and cause it to be published on my official social media handles and major newspapers within the same day,” Agbese stated.
He further stated: “But to my greatest shock, some individuals going by the names; Bernard Oche Ekwote, Obeya Dankwambo Jnr, who is originally known as Obeya Isaac Ojile, Paul Ochigbo, Melvin Agih and Abah Isaiah who are my political opponents and working collectively together with other unknown elements to blackmail me ad tarnish my image decided to reproduce the publication and several other commentaries suggesting that I am guilty of the allegations and was only trying to save my face.
“In my press statement, I threatened to institute a legal action against Mr Gambaryan of Binance if he fails to withdraw the (petition) statement from public domain and equally fail to apologise to me. That whilst My Gambaryan after my statement decided to keep quiet, the above named persons decided to persecute me using the same falsehood by making several posts on Facebook suggesting that my going to court to clear my name as a mere smokescreen.
“Some of these posts have been attached to my petition before the police. I had no option but to report to the police at this point even after these persons knew that I am already in court, they continued to blackmail me. One of the posts by Bernard Ekwote reads, that I have gone to court to institute a flimsy process to stop the National Assembly from investigating me and not because I want to protect my image. This particular post broke me down to the point of coma due to the number of calls that I received from family and well wishers both at home and abroad;” Agbese said among other things.
