Court Remands FIJ Journalist Daniel Ojukwu, Fixes December 1 for Bail Hearing

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reporter Daniel Ojukwu after he pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime offences, including cyberstalking.

The charge, dated December 19, 2024, is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/486/2024. Former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun is listed as the complainant, while Ojukwu and FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo are named as defendants.

According to the charge sheet, the prosecution accused the journalists of conspiring to commit cyberstalking and transmitting reports published on the FIJ website that allegedly caused presidential aide Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire to fear death, violence or bodily harm.

One of the counts concerns an FIJ investigation published on November 7, 2023, titled, “Special Report: 2 Weeks Before End of Buhari’s Tenure, Special Assistant, Adefulire Paid a Restaurant N17.1m to Build Classrooms in Lagos. A Lot Was Amiss.”

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution told the court that Soyombo was at large and requested a bench warrant for his arrest. However, the judge rejected the request, noting that the second defendant had not previously been brought before the court.

After Ojukwu entered his plea, the prosecution asked the court to remand him in custody. His lawyers opposed the request, drawing attention to a pending bail application and asking that he be allowed to remain on administrative bail. They argued that he had not violated any of the bail conditions.

The judge declined the request, observing that the charge had been served on Ojukwu long before his bail application was filed on Monday. The court subsequently fixed December 1 for the hearing of the application.

Reacting to the development, activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore described Ojukwu’s remand as “punishment before conviction”, arguing that it undermined the constitutional presumption of innocence and the right to personal liberty.

He said, “The practice of throwing people into prison through prolonged bail proceedings is becoming disturbingly common in Nigeria’s Federal High Courts.”

Sowore also questioned why defendants had to remain in custody while awaiting bail hearings, asking, “What happened to the presumption of innocence? What happened to the constitutional right to liberty? Since when did bail become a punishment in itself?”

Appealing directly to the presiding judge, Justice Abdulmalik, he said, “A journalist should not have to spend 21 days in prison simply waiting for an opportunity to argue for bail.”

Sowore further called for scrutiny of the Nigeria Police Force’s National Cybercrime Centre, headed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police Akayinne Ezima, and its handling of cybercrime cases. He argued that courts should protect citizens from arbitrary detention rather than prolong it.

“The courts are supposed to protect citizens against arbitrary detention, not become instruments for prolonging it. Judicial discretion must never become a licence for judicial oppression,” he said.

He ended his statement with a demand for Ojukwu’s release, declaring: “FREE DANIEL OJUKWU NOW!”