Chioma Okoli, a Nigerian woman who reviewed a can of tomato puree online, is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that ruined its business.
She is being prosecuted because she allegedly contravened cybercrime laws.
However, the case has sparked protests by locals who believe she is being persecuted for exercising her right to free speech.
The woman is a small-scale importer of children’s wear. She told CNN that on September 17, she asked her 18,000 Facebook followers to share their opinions about a tomato puree she bought in place of her usual brand. She said she found it too sweet.
Her post was accompanied by a photo of an opened can of Nagiko tomato Mix produced by Erisco Foods Limited. The post sparked various reactions from commenters. One of them replied, “Stop spoiling my brother’s product. If (you) don’t like it, use another one than bring it to social media or call the customer service.”
Okoli responded by saying, “Help me advise your brother to stop killing people with his product, yesterday was my first time of using and it’s pure sugar.”
According to CNN, the Nigeria Police Force alleged, in legal filings, that Okoli used her Facebook account “with the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods.” It further said it had “unearthed compelling evidence” against her from its preliminary in investigations.
However, Okoli’s lawyers have filed a countersuit, saying, “In this case, we believe that David is right and Goliath is wrong.” In effect,they are referring to Okoli as the underdog and Erisco Foods as the oppressor.
