Omoyele Sowore demands the release of FIJ journalist Daniel Ojukwu, remanded in Kuje prison until December 1 over alleged cybercrime offences
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has demanded the immediate release of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), following his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
Sowore condemned the Federal High Court’s decision to keep the journalist in custody until 1 December, when his bail application is scheduled to be heard, describing the 21-day wait as an unacceptable restriction on personal liberty.
In a statement published on his official X account, Sowore criticised the prolonged detention of defendants awaiting bail hearings, arguing that the criminal justice system should not turn access to bail into an additional punishment.
He specifically questioned why Ojukwu, who was previously granted administrative bail by the police, should remain in custody while awaiting the opportunity to argue his application before the court.
“Remanding a journalist who is not on the run for 21 days merely to hear a bail application is unacceptable and wicked!” Sowore wrote.
He described the situation as an example of what he called punishment before conviction, warning that prolonged pre-trial detention could undermine the constitutional presumption of innocence and the right to personal liberty.
“The practice of throwing people into prison through prolonged bail proceedings is becoming disturbingly common in Nigeria’s Federal High Courts,” he said.
Sowore also questioned the rationale behind keeping defendants in correctional facilities for extended periods before their applications for bail are considered.
“What happened to the presumption of innocence? What happened to the constitutional right to liberty? Since when did bail become a punishment in itself?” he asked.
Addressing the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the activist appealed for reconsideration of Ojukwu’s detention, insisting that the journalist should not spend three weeks in prison simply waiting for his bail application to be heard.
Ojukwu’s remand followed his arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja over a 12-count charge involving alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation arising from investigative reports published by FIJ.
The journalist pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/486/2024, lists former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun as the complainant, while Ojukwu and FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo are named as defendants.
According to the prosecution, the journalists allegedly conspired to commit cyberstalking and published electronic communications that placed former presidential aide Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire in fear of death, violence or bodily harm.
One of the charges specifically references an FIJ investigation published on 7 November 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.
The investigation raised questions about payments connected to classroom construction projects in Lagos during Orelope-Adefulire’s tenure as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals.
Other reports cited in the proceedings examined additional payments and concerns about the delivery and performance of infrastructure projects.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecution informed the court that Soyombo was at large and requested a bench warrant for his arrest.
Justice Abdulmalik declined the request, explaining that the second defendant had not previously been brought before the court.
Following Ojukwu’s not-guilty plea, the prosecution requested that he be remanded in custody.
His defence lawyers drew the court’s attention to a pending bail application filed on Monday, 9 November, and argued that the journalist had complied with the conditions of his earlier administrative bail.
They urged the judge to allow him to remain on the existing bail arrangement pending further proceedings.
However, the court declined the request, noting that the charge had been served on Ojukwu long before the fresh bail application was filed.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently ordered his remand at Kuje Correctional Centre and fixed 1 December 2026 for the hearing of the bail application.
Ojukwu’s latest detention comes more than two years after his arrest by police operatives on 1 May 2024 over investigative reports concerning Orelope-Adefulire and alleged expenditure involving her former office.
The journalist was held for 10 days before regaining his freedom on 10 May 2024, following public pressure from journalists, rights organisations and other concerned groups.
His employer, FIJ, had raised concerns about his disappearance and detention, while the police maintained that he was being investigated over alleged violations of the Cybercrime Act.
Reuters also reported on the 2024 detention, documenting concerns raised by press freedom advocates and civil society organisations about the use of cybercrime legislation against journalists.
The latest proceedings have renewed debate about the balance between protecting individuals from cybercrime and ensuring that investigative journalists can report on matters involving public expenditure without facing disproportionate restrictions.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also called for Ojukwu’s release, urging President Bola Tinubu and Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi to intervene.
SERAP argued that the FIJ reports concerned matters of public interest, including questions surrounding payments of ₦147.1 million and ₦47.5 million for classroom construction projects and reports about solar installations that allegedly stopped functioning shortly after completion.
The organisation maintained that public institutions should respond to questions about public expenditure through transparency, disclosure of relevant records and appropriate investigations.
Beyond the court proceedings, Sowore called for closer scrutiny of the activities of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, which is headed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police Akayinne Ezima.
He expressed concern about the handling of cybercrime-related investigations, particularly where journalists, activists and other individuals face criminal proceedings over their public statements or publications.
“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,” Sowore said.
His comments add to wider concerns about the application of cybercrime and criminal defamation laws in cases involving public criticism, investigative journalism and allegations of misconduct by public officials.
However, the allegations against Ojukwu remain before the court, and his not-guilty plea means the charges have yet to be established through trial.
The case also raises questions about how courts balance the rights of defendants awaiting bail hearings with the need to ensure that criminal proceedings are properly conducted.
Concluding his statement, Sowore called for Ojukwu’s immediate release and urged Nigerians to pay attention to the journalist’s case.
“FREE DANIEL OJUKWU NOW!” he declared.
With the bail hearing scheduled for 1 December, attention is now focused on the court’s next decision and whether Ojukwu will be released pending the determination of the criminal proceedings.
