A magistrate’s court in Ogba, Lagos, has granted bail to TikToker Seaking, born Olumide Ogunsanwo, in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like amount.
The bail comes after Seaking was arrested on Saturday and charged to court for allegedly insulting President Bola Tinubu, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun in a social media video.
According to Seaking’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, the TikToker was charged with treason, cyberstalking, and conduct likely to provoke a breach of peace. Effiong stated that the police initially denied him access to Seaking at the state police command in Ikeja, and that Seaking was “discreetly transferred to the Ogba magistrate’s court for remand proceedings” while they were waiting to meet with the police commissioner.
Effiong’s legal team opposed the police’s application to remand Seaking for 30 days, citing insufficient grounds for such detention. “We applied that he should be admitted to bail in line with the provisions of Section 264 (5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State,” Effiong explained. The court ultimately upheld their position, ruling that the police failed to show probable cause for remanding Seaking for 30 days.
The court granted Seaking bail on liberal terms, with one of the sureties required to be a family member, and both sureties must reside in Lagos and be gainfully employed. The case has been adjourned to January 16, 2025, for advice from the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).
