A self-acclaimed activist and Instagram influencer, Scott Iguma, who commands over one million followers on the platform, has been remanded in custody after his arraignment before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday.

Iguma was docked by the police from the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, on a four-count charge bordering on cyberbullying and cyberstalking.

His pleas

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges before Justice Friday Ogazi.

The police prosecutor, Augustine Nwabuisi, informed the court that the alleged offences were committed between May 27 and 28, 2025, at the Lekki Gardens in Sangotedo, Lagos.

Nwabuisi alleged that Iguma used his Instagram platform to post defamatory and unverified statements targeting the founder of real estate firm, PWAN Group, Dr. Augustine Onwumere.

In one of the posts cited in court, Iguma allegedly wrote:

“If anything happens to me, PWAN should be number 1 suspect. If anything happens to my family, nuclear and extended, hold PWAN responsible. Even if I fall sick, hold PWAN responsible.”

In another post, the influencer was said to have stated: “PWAN Real Estate Company, the company that sells receipts instead of land… I can boldly state and advise: do not buy property from PWAN for now. PWAN founder is the leader of this thing.”

The prosecutor said Iguma also circulated photographs of Onwumere across multiple social media platforms with the intent to incite public hatred and damage his reputation.

According to Nwabuisi, Iguma’s posts contravened Section 24(1)(b) and are punishable under Section 24(2)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act (As Amended) 2024.

Following the not-guilty plea, Justice Ogazi ordered Iguma’s remand at a correctional facility pending the hearing and determination of his bail application scheduled for Monday, July 21.

Nwabuisi told the court that the posts were knowingly false and widely circulated, gaining viral engagement with potential to incite public unrest and pose threats to life.

Meanwhile, PWAN Homes has denied orchestrating the arrest and detention of the activist, despite his claims on social media that the company used police to silence him.

In a series of Instagram posts, Iguma alleged that PWAN issued receipts to clients in place of land allocations, with several customers yet to receive land despite payment. He claimed these posts led to his arrest, allegedly instigated by Onwumere.

PWAN’s response

In response, the Head of Media for PWAN, Leslie Ejiro, in a statement described Iguma’s allegations as “false, malicious, and deeply misleading.”

Ejiro said, “PWAN categorically distances itself from the recent arrest and detention of Mr. Scott Iguma. We wish to state unequivocally that PWAN, as a private corporate entity, neither has the authority nor has ever exercised any power to arrest or detain any individual.”

While acknowledging that Iguma had waged a smear campaign against the company, the firm said it opted for professionalism despite provocation.

“Despite persistent provocations and the dissemination of falsehoods, we extended multiple invitations to Mr. Iguma for peaceful dialogue, offers he publicly declined, as evident in his social media posts,” the statement added.

Lagos police confirmation

Confirming the development in a separate statement on Thursday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said: “Scott Iguma will be arraigned on a 10-count charge at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, this morning, July 17, 2025.”

One of the charges in the document obtained by Afrocover stated: “That you, Scott Iguma ‘M’, on or before the 27th day of May, 2025, at Lekki Gardens, Sangotedo, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did knowingly and intentionally send a message via a computer system through your Instagram account, which has over one million followers/viewers stating: ‘If anything happens to me, PWAN should be the number one suspect. If anything happens to my family, nuclear and extended, PWAN should be held responsible.

“Even if I fall sick, hold PWAN responsible,’ knowing the same to be false, for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order, hatred, posing a threat to life or causing such messages to be sent.”

The act, according to the charge, is contrary to Section 24 (1) and (6), and punishable under Section 24 (2)(Gi) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, as amended.