The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) 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 (FIJ) reporter, Daniel Ojukwu, who is being held at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
SERAP also urged the Federal Government to stop what it described as the use of criminal defamation and cyberstalking laws to intimidate, harass or punish journalists investigating alleged corruption and the management of public funds.
The organisation made the demand following Ojukwu’s remand by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, after he was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered that the journalist be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application, which was adjourned until December 1, 2026.
Ojukwu pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts.
The criminal case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/486/2024, was filed by the Inspector-General of Police and also lists FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, as a defendant.
The prosecution alleges that the journalists conspired to commit cyberstalking and published reports concerning Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, a former Senior Special Assistant to late President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
The reports under investigation were published by FIJ in 2023 and January 2024 and examined alleged expenditure by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.
Among the issues raised in the investigations were payments reportedly amounting to ₦147.1 million and ₦47.5 million for classroom construction projects, as well as questions about the quality and functionality of solar panels installed at some of the facilities.
One of the reports specifically examined a payment of ₦17.1 million to a restaurant for classroom construction shortly before the end of the Buhari administration. Another questioned reports that solar panels installed at some classroom blocks stopped working shortly after the projects were completed.
The police charges accuse the journalists of publishing material allegedly intended to harass or defame the former presidential aide. These allegations have not been established by a court, and Ojukwu has pleaded not guilty.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution requested that Ojukwu be remanded in custody. His defence drew the court’s attention to a pending bail application and sought to have him remain on administrative bail.
The court nevertheless ordered his remand and fixed December 1 for the hearing of the bail application.
The prosecution also indicated that Soyombo was at large and sought a bench warrant against him. However, Justice Abdulmalik declined the request, stating that the second defendant had not previously been brought before the court.
Reacting to the development, SERAP called on Tinubu and Fagbemi to intervene and ensure Ojukwu’s release, while urging the authorities to discontinue what it described as the harassment and prosecution of the journalist and Soyombo over the investigative publications.
The organisation argued that the reports concerned the management of public funds and issues of public interest, insisting that government institutions should respond to questions about public expenditure through transparency, disclosure of relevant documents and investigations where necessary.
SERAP maintained that public officials and institutions should be open to scrutiny, particularly when questions are raised about the use of taxpayers’ money.
It warned that keeping Ojukwu in detention could discourage journalists and other citizens from investigating alleged corruption or reporting on the activities of public institutions.
The organisation also recalled that Ojukwu was detained for 10 days in May 2024 following his reporting on allegations involving the same former presidential aide.
SERAP said the latest development risked reinforcing an atmosphere in which journalists could become reluctant to investigate public officials for fear of arrest, prosecution or imprisonment.
In making its case, the organisation cited Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Section 22 provides for the role of the mass media in holding government accountable, while Section 39 guarantees freedom of expression, including the freedom to receive and impart information.
It also referred to Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which provide protections for freedom of expression and access to information.
SERAP further invoked the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 34, which addresses freedom of expression and cautions against the use of defamation laws to suppress legitimate criticism and public-interest reporting.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to respect Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations on freedom of expression and media freedom.
Ojukwu’s detention has renewed concerns among press freedom advocates about the use of cybercrime and criminal defamation provisions in cases involving investigative journalism.
The journalist remains in custody pending the court’s consideration of his bail application on December 1, while the 12-count criminal case against him and Soyombo remains before the Federal High Court.
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