DSS Arraigns Female Teenager For Circulating Nude Video

The Department of State Services (DSS), on Monday, arraigned a teenage girl before the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, for circulating the nude video of a retired Bayelsa permanent Secretary on social media.

In the one-count charge, prosecuting counsel, Mr Victor Uchendu, said that the accused engaged in cyber-stalking by circulating the retiree’s nude picture on a WhatsApp group.

He disclosed that the teenage girl also circulated the nude pictures of the retired permanent secretary on other social media platforms after an unsuccessful attempt to extort N15 million from the official.

The prosecutor noted that the accused made and circulated nude pictures of the retired permanent secretary on social media on Sept. 14 in contravention of the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act of 2015.

The teenager, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Her counsel, Andrew Arthur, applied for her bail from DSS custody where she had been kept for 13 days.

Arguing the bail application, Arthur told the court that the defendant had earlier been arraigned for criminal defamation on the same offence and granted bail by a Bayelsa High Court.

He said that the DSS refused to release the suspect on bail and chose to approach the Federal High Court to institute a fresh charge.

Opposing the bail application, Uchendu said that he was served the bail document in the courtroom and needed room to study it to respond to issues raised therein.

In ruling, Justice I. H. Ndahen, ordered the teenager to be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Yenagoa until Oct. 21 to hear the bail application