Police invite ex-lawmaker’s aide over alleged cyberstalking

The Office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in Zone 7, Abuja, has invited Benard Ekwote, a politician and former aide to Philip Agbese, a House of Representatives member representing Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency, over alleged cyberbullying and cyberstalking.

The police accused Mr Ekwote of intentional insult, provocation of public peace, and defamation of character over a Facebook post he made.

The details of the allegations were not contained in an invitation letter dated 25 February, which was sent to Mr Ekwote’s WhatsApp number.

But Mr Ekwote told PREMIUM TIMES via telephone on Monday that following calls from some elders and fellow constituents to Mr Agbese, he believed that his former principal is behind the alleged cybercrime allegations.

The letter, signed by Olubunmi Ogedengbe, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), directed Mr Ekwote to report to an officer in charge of the Crack Squad Section at the Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja.

The police also invited three other individuals—Michael Agbo, Agih Melvin, and Obeya Ojile—who allegedly shared and commented on Mr Ekwote’s post on 14 February.

The police warned that failure to honour the invitation would lead to criminal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Ekwote’s post and the Binance bribery allegation

Mr Ekwote’s Facebook post was a critique of a statement made by Mr Agbese, who was named in a bribery allegation involving Binance, the global cryptocurrency exchange platform.

On 23 February, Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime, alleged that some Nigerian lawmakers demanded a $150 million bribe to halt a probe into the company.

Mr Gambaryan named Mr Agbese, Peter Ankpanke, and another individual later identified as Peter Anakwe.

He also implicated Ginger Onwusibe, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

In response, Mr Agbese denied any involvement in bribery, stating that while he attended a meeting where Binance was discussed, he was not part of the Financial Crimes Committee and had only stopped by his colleague’s office.

Ekwote’s Facebook post questions Agbese’s defence

Mr Ekwote, in his Facebook post, dissected Mr Agbese’s statement by spotlighting contradictions in his denial of attending any meeting with Binance.

He noted that in one paragraph, Mr Agbese denied meeting Binance executives, yet in another, he admitted discussing Binance’s activities during his visit to his colleague’s office.

He said, “This means his visit coincided with the committee’s interface with the Binance team, and as someone who loves gaining knowledge, he joined in the discussion. So why is he denying that he was ever part of a meeting with Binance executives?”

Mr Ekwote further suggested that Binance may not be able to produce concrete evidence of bribery since the alleged demand was oral.

Request for postponement

Following the police invitation, Mr Ekwote and the three other individuals engaged their lawyer, Nathaniel Udalo, who wrote to the police on 27 February requesting a postponement of their appearance.

The letter stated, “Our clients appeal for a further date for the interview due to their various engagements. Obeya Isaac Oyile and Bernard Oche Ekwote are currently in their respective villages in Benue State, while Michael Agbo, a postgraduate student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, is presently defending his academic work.”

The lawyer requested 6 March 2025 at 12:00 noon as a new date for the interview.

Background

The controversy surrounding Binance and Nigerian authorities dates back to early 2024 when the government accused Binance of manipulating foreign exchange rates.

The government detained Mr Gambaryan and another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, when they arrived in Nigeria for discussions in February 2024.

While Mr Anjarwalla later escaped, Mr Gambaryan remained in custody.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) subsequently charged Binance with tax evasion, money laundering, and forex violations.

READ ALSO: Binance: House of Reps absolves self from bribery allegations

After months in detention, the federal government, through the EFCC in October 2024 dropped the money laundering charges against Mr Gambaryan, leading to his release.

He later sued the Nigerian government, alleging wrongful detention and seeking compensation.

Despite his release, the NSA and EFCC maintained that their actions were legal.