Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu, following his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja for 21 days over alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
The organisations condemned the continued prosecution and detention of Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), warning that the case raises serious concerns about press freedom, freedom of expression and the use of criminal laws against journalists in Nigeria.
Ojukwu was remanded on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, by the Federal High Court in Abuja after pleading not guilty to a 12-count charge bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation. The presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, adjourned the hearing of his bail application until December 1, leaving him in custody for another 21 days.
The charges stem from investigative reports published by FIJ between 2023 and January 2024 concerning alleged irregularities in projects funded by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Some of the reports questioned payments of ₦147.1 million for classroom construction projects and ₦47.5 million for a separate contract, as well as the alleged failure of solar panels installed at some project locations shortly after their completion.
In a statement on Wednesday, Amnesty International called on the Nigerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ojukwu and drop all charges arising from his legitimate journalistic activities.
The organisation described his detention as part of a troubling pattern in which the criminal justice system is allegedly being used to intimidate and punish journalists for exposing corruption, abuse of power and the diversion of public funds.
Amnesty International recalled that Ojukwu had faced legal proceedings since December 2024 over the reports and was abducted by officers of the Nigeria Police Force’s Intelligence Response Team on May 1, 2024, in connection with his investigative work.
He was subsequently transferred from Lagos to Abuja, where he was detained at the Police National Cybercrime Centre before his release on May 10, 2024, following public outcry and pressure from rights groups.
The organisation also expressed concern over the alleged harassment and intimidation of FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, urging the authorities to allow him to carry out legitimate journalistic activities without threats or reprisals.
Similarly, SERAP called on President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to secure Ojukwu’s release and end the prosecution of journalists over reports concerning alleged misuse of public funds.
SERAP maintained that the publications raised legitimate questions about government expenditure and should have prompted the relevant authorities to explain how public funds were spent and make appropriate records available rather than resort to criminal prosecution.
The organisation cited Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression and media freedom.
It also referenced a 2022 judgment of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, which declared Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 arbitrary, vague and repressive, directing the Nigerian government to amend the provision in line with its human rights obligations.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Festus Ogun described Ojukwu’s remand as unconstitutional and an abuse of judicial process, arguing that criminal charges arising from investigative reporting should not be used to punish journalists for performing their professional duties.
Former presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore also criticised the decision to keep Ojukwu in custody for 21 days before hearing his bail application.
In a post on X, Sowore argued that delaying bail proceedings while keeping defendants in prison amounted to punishment before conviction. He also accused some Federal High Court judges of using procedural delays to prolong the detention of journalists, activists and other defendants facing cyberstalking charges.
Human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu equally questioned the decision to remand a journalist over reports concerning alleged public expenditure.
Court proceedings revealed that Ojukwu’s defence counsel had drawn the judge’s attention to a pending bail application and requested that he be allowed to continue on administrative bail, arguing that he had not breached its conditions.
However, the court declined to entertain the application, stating that it had been filed on Monday and was not yet ripe for hearing. It also rejected the request for administrative bail, noting that the charge had been served on the defendant long before the application was filed.
The prosecution also informed the court that Soyombo, who is the second defendant in the case, was at large and requested a bench warrant for his arrest.
The judge, however, rejected the request, explaining that Soyombo had never appeared before the court and that a bench warrant could not be issued to compel his appearance under the circumstances.
The 12-count charge, dated September 19, 2024, was filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended in 2024, and the Criminal Code Act.
Among the publications listed in the charge sheet was a November 7, 2023 report titled, “Special Report: 2 Weeks Before End of Buhari’s Tenure, Special Assistant, Adefulire Paid a Restaurant N147.1m to Build Classrooms in Lagos. A Lot Was Amiss.”
Another report, published on December 3, 2023, questioned an alleged ₦47.5 million contract awarded by the OSSAP-SDGs following a request attributed to former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
The charge sheet also referenced reports concerning an alleged ₦241 million recovered from the former SSAP-SDGs office and the reported failure of solar panels installed at classroom blocks shortly after their construction.
FIJ had reported that a visit to Ajeromi Primary School in October 2023 revealed a dilapidated and understaffed facility, with no visible evidence of the reported construction work. The organisation also alleged that a mosque occupied the site where the school was expected to be built.
The prosecution alleged that the publications exposed Orelope-Adefulire to fear of death, violence or bodily harm, an allegation Ojukwu denied by pleading not guilty.
