Baltasar Of Nigeria? Man Posts Ladies He Had Slept With Online, See How He Ended Up
A recent incident involving a 76- year- old man in Bauchi State, Nigeria, has highlighted the increasing scrutiny of social media behavior and the legal implications of defamation and privacy violations.
Bala Mohammed, the man in question, was brought before a Chief Magistrate Court after being accused of sharing multiple images of women on Facebook, claiming that they were his former girlfriends with whom he had once been romantically involved.
However, one of the women featured in the photos, who remains unnamed, reported that her interaction with Mohammed was limited to taking a selfie, and she strongly denied any romantic involvement.
Prosecutor ASP Zakari Mohammed presented the case in court, detailing the allegations against Bala Mohammed. According to ASP Zakari, the defendant committed the offense in October 2024.
Zakari explained that Mohammed, a resident of Tambari Housing Estate in Bauchi, allegedly used his Facebook account to post several photos of women and make claims about their past relationships with him. This action led to charges being brought against him under sections 183, 196, 388, and 389 of the Bauchi State Penal Code 2022, which address issues related to defamation, invasion of privacy, and misinformation.
The complainant, who was among the women whose photos were posted, clarified in her statement that she had only taken a selfie with Bala Mohammed and that there was no further connection or involvement between them. She alleged that Mohammed’ s claims were false, asserting that his behavior had caused her significant distress.
In response, the court presided over by Magistrate Mrs. Laraba Hamisu decided to remand Mohammed in prison while the case undergoes further investigation. The Magistrate adjourned the case to November 27, 2024, allowing authorities additional time to look into the details and gather more evidence if needed.
This case echoes a high- profile scandal from Equatorial Guinea, where Baltasar Engonga, the former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), was recently dismissed following the release of explicit videos. Engonga reportedly recorded numerous videos involving women, including prominent individuals, without their consent.
The videos eventually went viral on social media, resulting in public backlash and leading to Engonga’ s removal from his position. The Equatorial Guinean government responded swiftly, suspending officials implicated in the scandal and reiterating its commitment to ethical governance, as well as promising stricter privacy regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In Nigeria, the legal response to Bala Mohammed’ s actions reflects a growing recognition of the need to address privacy violations and defamation on social media. The public’ s reaction to cases like these emphasizes the importance of respecting individuals’ privacy and the potential consequences for those who disregard this.
In another incident, Mohammed faced questioning by Hisbah, a local moral policing body, after sharing old photos with various women on social media, allegedly his past romantic interests. The photos, which had been taken approximately 20 years prior, reportedly stirred up concerns among the women’ s families, who were unsettled by the posts and contacted the commission.
Following the backlash, Mohammed admitted to posting the images and expressed regret for any distress he may have caused, publicly apologizing to the women and their families.
