A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded Daniel Ojukwu, a correspondent with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), at the Kuje Correctional Centre over reports he published about a former presidential aide.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the order on Tuesday after Ojukwu pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation. He will remain in custody pending the hearing of his bail application, fixed for December 1, 2026.
- Ojukwu pleaded not guilty to a 12-count cyberstalking and defamation charge
- He was remanded at Kuje until his bail hearing on December 1, 2026
- The court rejected a bench-warrant request against FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo
Why the court rejected the Soyombo warrant
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/486/2024, also names FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo as a defendant. During the proceedings, the prosecution told the court that Soyombo was at large and asked for a bench warrant for his arrest.
Justice Abdulmalik rejected the request, holding that a bench warrant could not be issued against Soyombo because he had not previously been brought before the court.
The court also declined a request by Ojukwu's lawyers for him to continue on administrative bail, noting that the charge had been served on him long before the bail application was filed.
What the case is about
The 12-count charge, brought by the Nigeria Police Force, accuses Ojukwu and Soyombo of cyberstalking and criminal defamation over investigative reports published on FIJ's website between 2023 and 2024 concerning Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals.
Ojukwu's remand comes more than two years after he was first arrested and detained by police officers in May 2024 over the same reports.
Reactions and what happens next
Omoyele Sowore has demanded Ojukwu's immediate release, appealing to the judge over the 21-day wait for a bail hearing, and Amnesty International and SERAP have also called for the journalist's release in statements reported this week.
The case returns on December 1, 2026, for the hearing of Ojukwu's bail application.
Credit: Premium Times reports of November 11, 2026. Follow @newstweetnaija on Instagram for the day's biggest stories.
