SERAP demands release of detained FIJ journalist Ojukwu

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to secure the immediate release of Foundation for Investigative Journalism reporter, Daniel Ojukwu, who was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

SERAP also urged the Federal Government to end the prosecution of Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, over investigative reports concerning alleged expenditure of public funds by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.

The organisation made the demands in a statement posted on its X account on Tuesday, describing Ojukwu’s detention as a threat to journalists reporting on alleged corruption and the management of public funds.

Ojukwu was remanded by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja until December 1, 2026, when his bail application is scheduled to be heard.

He had 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 Soyombo are the defendants.

According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleged that the journalists conspired to commit cyberstalking and transmitted reports on the FIJ website that placed former presidential aide, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in fear of death, violence or bodily harm.

One of the counts specifically refers to 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.”

The prosecution told the court that Soyombo was at large and asked for a bench warrant to be issued against him. However, the judge rejected the request, saying the second defendant had not previously been brought before the court.

After Ojukwu pleaded not guilty, the prosecution asked that he be remanded. His lawyers drew the court’s attention to a pending bail application and asked that he be allowed to continue on his administrative bail, arguing that he had not breached its conditions.

The judge declined the request, noting that the charge had been served on Ojukwu long before the bail application was filed on Monday. The court consequently adjourned the hearing of the application until December 1.

Reacting to the development, SERAP said the prosecution arose from FIJ reports published in 2023 and January 2024, which raised questions about payments of N147.1m and N47.5m for classroom construction projects, as well as the reported failure of solar panels installed at some of the projects shortly after their completion.

“These are matters of legitimate public interest. Public officials and institutions should expect scrutiny of their decisions and expenditure of public funds.

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“The proper response to investigative reporting that raises questions about public expenditure is to provide explanations, disclose relevant records and, where necessary, investigate allegations of wrongdoing—not to subject journalists to criminal prosecution and imprisonment,” the organisation said.

SERAP also expressed concern that Ojukwu’s latest detention followed his arrest and detention for 10 days in May 2024 over reporting on the same public official and alleged expenditure.

“His continued prosecution risks reinforcing a climate in which journalists may be deterred from investigating and reporting on corruption for fear of arrest, detention and imprisonment,” it said.

The organisation urged the authorities to respect constitutional and international protections for freedom of expression and media freedom, citing 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.

It also referred to the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 34, which cautions against the use of defamation laws to suppress freedom of expression and encourages the recognition of truth and public interest as defences.

SERAP called on the government to end the use of criminal defamation and cyberstalking charges to intimidate journalists carrying out their professional duties.

“Stop using the Cybercrimes Act, criminal defamation laws and other repressive legislation to intimidate, harass and punish journalists, bloggers and critics for peacefully exercising their human rights,” SERAP said.

Ojukwu’s latest remand comes more than two years after his arrest by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force’s Intelligence Response Team on May 1, 2024, over FIJ’s reports on Orelope-Adefulire, who served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals.

He was initially taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Lagos, before being transferred to the police National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja on May 5.

He was released on May 10 after 10 days in detention, following public protests.

The PUNCH had reported that the journalist suffered a severe asthma attack during his detention and later said he was held alongside confessed murderers and fraudsters.

According to FIJ, the police also withheld his international passport over concerns that he might flee the country.