A Magistrate Court in Owerri, Imo State, has remanded a 28-year-old man, Uzochukwu Ikenna Wisdom, over allegations of sexual extortion and the non-consensual recording and distribution of intimate videos.
The suspect is accused of secretly recording women during intimate moments and using the videos to threaten and blackmail them whenever disagreements arose.
According to the Owerri-based non-governmental organisation, Virgin Heart Foundation, the case came to light after the suspect allegedly shared explicit videos of a woman he had dated for two years on Facebook and TikTok, with the alleged intention of selling the content to adult websites.
The foundation also alleged that police recovered intimate videos of several other women from the suspect's phone during the investigation, raising concerns that there may be additional victims.
In a statement, the organisation said it is working alongside Sisters With The Goal Initiative to provide psychological and emotional support to the complainant after discovering that she had allegedly attempted suicide several times as a result of the blackmail and online publication of the videos.
The NGO described digital abuse and sexual extortion as forms of gender-based violence with devastating emotional and psychological consequences for victims.
A video released by the organisation features the complainant recounting her ordeal and the impact the alleged abuse had on her mental health.
The court ordered that the defendant be remanded pending further proceedings. The allegations remain before the court and have not yet been proven.
