A Nigerian woman faces seven years in prison for writing a negative online review of a brand of tomato paste product.
Chioma Okoli, who owns a business in Lagos, took to social media to express her dissatisfaction with Erisco Foods‘ Nagiko Tomato Mix. After posting a photo of an opened can and commenting that the product was excessively sweet, she encouraged her 18,000 Facebook followers to share their opinions.
“Stop spoiling my brother’s product. If [you] don’t like it, use another one than bring it to social media or call the customer service,” one commenter wrote. Ms. Okoli responded: “Help me advise your brother to stop ki***ing people with his product, yesterday was my first time of using and it’s pure sugar.”
The public response drew the attention of Lagos-based Erisco Foods, which has since initiated criminal prosecution and filed a civil lawsuit against Ms. Okoli, alleging that her statements have caused significant harm to the company’s business image and sales.
The case has sparked a conversation about consumer rights and the limits of freedom of expression on social media platforms. If found guilty, Ms. Okoli faces up to seven years in prison, a verdict that would set a precedent for how customer feedback is managed legally in Nigeria.
“The businesswoman, who’s currently pregnant with her fourth child, was arrested by plainclothes officers from Nigeria’s national police in September while she was in church, and told CNN that she was made to stand around in a leaky cell for hours,” the Daily Mail reported.
Ms. Okoli was criminally charged with conspiring with two other individuals with “the intention of instigating people against Erisco Foods Limited.”
Erisco’s lawsuit claims that several suppliers cut ties with the company following her remarks, and is seeking 5 billion naira ($3.6 million) in damages, the Mail reported.
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