A magistrate’s court in Ogba, Lagos has granted N500,000 bail to the TikToker Seaking with two sureties in like amount.

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The bail comes after Seaking, born Olumide Ogunsanwo, was arrested on Saturday and charged to court.

Seaking recently shared a video on social media wherein he appeared to have insulted President Bola Tinubu, Babajide-Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor; and Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector general of police.

During sitting on Monday, the court ruled that one of the sureties must be a family member, and both must reside in Lagos and be gainfully employed.

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Inibehe Effiong, Seaking’s lawyer, said the TikToker was charged with treason, cyberstalking, and conduct likely to provoke a breach of peace.

Effiong said the police initially denied him access to the detainee at the state police command in Ikeja.

The lawyer said he, a colleague, and Seaking’s wife — who brought their six-month-old baby — were barred from seeing Seaking.

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He said while waiting to meet with the police commissioner, Seaking was “discreetly transferred to the Ogba magistrate’s court for remand proceedings”.

Effiong said his legal team intercepted the move and opposed the police’s application to remand the TikToker for 30 days, citing insufficient grounds for such detention.

“Thankfully, we intercepted the information and proceeded immediately to the court premises where we met Seaking with the police officers,” he wrote on X.

“To our consternation, the Nigeria Police filed a remand application and annexed a charge to it wherein they’re accusing him of treason, cyberstalking, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and provoking breach of peace.

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“They are claiming that he called on Nigerian Youths to “wage war” against the police. We opposed the application for remand on multiple grounds, while urging the court to refuse the application to remand him for 30 days pending DPP advice.

“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. The court considered arguments from both sides and upheld our position, and held that the police failed to show probable cause why he should be remanded for 30 days.

“The Learned Magistrate accordingly admitted Seaking to bail on liberal terms; specifically in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, one of the sureties should be his family member and the sureties should be resident in Lagos State and be gainfully employed.”

The case has been adjourned to January 16, 2025, for advice from the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).

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