Benue Journalist Henry Ibya Granted Bail in Cyberstalking Case, Trial Adjourned

A Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi has granted bail to Henry Ibya, the Benue correspondent of Aljazirah Newspaper, who was arraigned over an alleged cyberstalking offence.

The case was presided over by Justice Mary Abounu, who considered a bail application filed by the journalist’s counsel, Tom Uja.

Uja informed the court that his client had previously been taken before two other courts in Benue State over the same charge. He also argued that Ibya had consistently attended court whenever required and was therefore reliable enough to be granted bail.

The prosecution counsel was absent during the proceedings. However, the absence did not prevent the court from considering the bail application. The judge had sought the prosecution’s response to the defence’s arguments before the matter proceeded.

The case reportedly arose from a complaint by Terna Abuul, identified as the Director of Information and Communication Technology at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University in Makurdi.

Abuul allegedly reported Ibya to the Nigeria Police Force in Benue State over a news report concerning alleged mismanagement in the university’s ICT department. He reportedly accused the journalist of making allegations of wrongdoing against him in the publication.

Following the complaint, Ibya was arraigned before the High Court on the cyberstalking charge. The allegations have not been established as proven in court.

The court adjourned the matter until November 5, 2026, for further proceedings.