Pregnant entrepreneur faces jail time for writing a scathing review of tomato puree. Here's what happened

According to Daily Star, Chioma Okoli, a 39-year-old entrepreneur from Lagos, Nigeria, is being prosecuted for breaching the country's cybercrime laws.

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What did she post about the tomato puree?

As per CNN, on September 17, last year, Okoli, asked her followers on Facebook to share their opinions about Nagiko Tomato Mix, manufactured by Erisco Foods Limited. She also added that she found the product "too sweet".

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Her post received several reactions, including one where an individual asked her not to spoil the product, reported the outlet. "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," the person wrote. In response, Okoli shared, "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."

What are the charges against Chioma Okoli?

The Nigeria Police Force took to X to address the incident. "As Police Reaffirms Prosecution of Chioma. No Sentiment in Law," they wrote.

"The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law in the Erisco Tomato matter. The involvement of Mrs Chioma warrants scrutiny as she stands accused of violating some salient parts of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 as preliminary investigations conducted have unearthed compelling evidence indicating Mrs Chioma's alleged role in the violation of extant laws, particularly those related to the proper use of the cyberspace," the department added.

Chioma Okoli's arrest and administrative bail:

Okoli told CNN that she was arrested while she was visiting church and then put in a "leaky" cell. She has three kids and is pregnant with her fourth baby.

"I was put in the cell around 6 pm (on September 24). 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. 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," she added.

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She was released on administrative bail, and one of the conditions of her release was a public apology to Erisco. Her lawyer Effiong told CNN she agreed to this condition under "duress". Hence, once released, she did not apologise. Following this, the police filed a case against her on October 5 and again arrested her on January 9.

Counter lawsuit by Chioma Okoli:

Effiong, on behalf of Okoli, filed a 500 million naira countersuit against not just Erisco but the police too.

How did netizens react to this incident?

People had a lot of say while reacting to this incident of Okoli facing jail time for her review of Erisco's tomato puree. Many on social media also called for a boycott of the product.

"The investigation should have begun by asking why there is sugar in Erisco Tomato," wrote an X user.

"This is an embarrassment of the highest degree! I can't believe this," added another.

"Why will you tag customer reviews as cybercrime?" joined a third.