Drama at Federal High Court as Cybercrime Suspect Begs to Retake Plea After Guilty Verdict
A mild drama unfolded at the Federal High Court in Abuja when a cybercrime suspect, Adun Adewale, also known as “Coachbanter,” requested to retake his plea after initially pleading guilty to charges against him.
Adewale was arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on a two-count charge related to cybercrime. The charges, filed by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accuse him of spreading false information about the I-G using his TikTok handle, “@brodabanter_backup_page” and username “CoachBanter.”
According to the charges, in 2024, Adewale posted a video claiming that I-G Egbetokun was involved in a scheme to move cash from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) vaults through Abuja and Lagos airports. The video, deemed false, allegedly aimed to incite public unrest, in violation of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act of 2024.
In the second count, Adewale was accused of sharing another video on TikTok, falsely accusing the I-G of protecting a notorious cartel responsible for transporting suspicious new banknotes from the CBN, also violating the same cybercrime laws.
