After posting a critical review of a tomato puree, a woman now finds herself entangled in a legal dispute with the manufacturer in a case that sparked outrage and calls for boycotts among many Nigerian groups.
Chioma Okoli, a 39-year-old from Lagos, Nigeria, took to Facebook on September 17 to ask her 18,000 followers about a tomato puree she thought tasted too sweet.
Highlights
- Chioma Okoli faces up to 7 years in prison for a negative review of a tomato puree.
- Public outcry led to calls for the boycott of Erisco products in support of Okoli.
- Erisco Foods is suing Okoli for damages, alleging loss of suppliers and credit lines.
"I went to buy Tin tomatoes yesterday that I will use to make a stew. I didn't see Gino and Sonia, so I decided to buy this one," the small-scale importer of children's wear wrote, accompanying the post with a photo of her can of Erisco's Nagiko Tomato Mix.
"Sugar is just too much. Let me know if you have used this tin tomato before."
Image credits: Chioma Egodi Jnr
Okoli woke up to find a comment that read, "Stop spoiling my brother's product. If [you] don't like it, use another one [instead of bringing] it to social media or call the customer service."
She responded, "Help me advise your brother to stop ki***ing people with his product. Yesterday was my first time using it, and it's pure sugar."
The woman, who's currently pregnant with her fourth child, was arrested a week later.
The Nigeria Police Force accused Okoli of using her Facebook platform "with the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods."
In a press release shared on social media on March 7, the police announced that they had "unearthed compelling evidence" against her from preliminary investigations, which would indicate that Okoli violated "extant laws, particularly those related to the proper use of the cyberspace."
The 39-year-old mother shared a message on Facebook, saying she found the puree to be too sweet
Image credits: Chioma Egodi Jnr
Okoli was charged with "instigating Erisco Foods Limited, knowing the said information to be false under Section 24 (1) (B) of Nigeria's Cyber Crime Prohibition Act."
She now faces up to three years in jail, a fine of 7 million naira (around $5,000), or both.
The Lagos entrepreneur was separately charged with conspiring with two other individuals “with the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods Limited.” If found guilty, she could face a seven-year sentence.
But that's not all. The tomato puree manufacturer sued Okoli in a civil case, alleging the woman's review "resulted in several suppliers deciding to disassociate themselves from [the company]."
"Additionally, the company suffered the loss of multiple credit lines," Erisco wrote on Facebook.
For this case—due to be heard on May 20—Erisco is seeking 5 billion naira (more than $3 million) in damages.
Okoli received a comment that was seemingly written by a relative of the food company's founder
Image credits: Erisco Foods Limited
Okoli was arrested on September 24 by plainclothes police while she was in church in Lagos and detained in a leaky police cell, as per CNN.
"There were no seats, so I stood all through till the next day. My legs were inside the water (that came in from the leaking roof). Sometimes, I squatted to reduce the pressure on my legs," the 39-year-old told the news outlet.
"I was thinking about my children who were at home. I was talking to myself. I would think, I would pray, I was messed up."
After spending a day in the cell, Okoli was flown to Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, where she was released on administrative bail.
Food company Erisco is taking the mother to court for posting her message "with the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods Limited"
Image credits: gobinfo
On October 5, the police filed their case against the mother. The first court hearing took place two months later.
Despite the court issuing a restraining order indicating that Okoli couldn’t be arrested without a court order, the police forcibly entered her home in January.
"They stayed in my building from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. My children couldn't go to school that day, and we couldn't go out to get food because the cooking gas was finished."
The case spread quickly across Nigerian media, with many people siding with the mother and calling for a boycott of Erisco products.
Furthermore, people have displayed support for Okoli by storming the business’ Lagos facility and holding up signs that read “#IStandWithChioma.”
Locals have called for a boycott of Erisco products as a sign of support for Okoli
Image credits: Erisco Foods Limited
The founder of Erisco, Eric Umeofia, doesn't feel threatened by the protests.
In a recent documentary on the local Arise Television channel, the businessman stated that he won't drop the lawsuit against Okoli. He also said that he'd "rather die than allow someone to tarnish the image [he] worked 40 years to grow."
Meanwhile, Okoli’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has filed a 500 million naira ($361,171) countersuit against the police and the food company.
Effiong cites the violation of his client’s constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement, as well as her right to freedom of expression.
"In this case, we believe that David is right, and Goliath is wrong," the lawyer stated.
People thought that jailing someone for voicing their opinions about a product was "absolutely ridiculous"
