The State Security Service (SSS) 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, Victor Uchendu, told the court the accused engaged in cyber-stalking by circulating the retiree’s nude picture on a WhatsApp group.

He said the teenager circulated the nude pictures of the retired civil servant on other social media platforms after an unsuccessful attempt to extort him of N15 million.

The SSS lawyer said the offence contravened the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act of 2015.

The teenager pleaded not guilty to the charges, with her counsel, Andrew Arthur, applying for her bail from SSS custody where she had been kept for 13 days.

Arguing the bail application, Mr 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 the SSS declined to release her and instead chose to approach the Federal High Court to institute a fresh charge.

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

The trial judge, Justice I. H. Ndahen, ordered the teenager to be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Yenagoa until October 21 to hear the bail application.

(NAN)