Photo: The Federal High Court headquarters, Abuja — Wikimedia Commons
Daniel Ojukwu, an investigative journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja until December 1, 2026, when his bail application will be heard.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court ordered the remand on Tuesday, November 10, after Ojukwu pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges against him.
- Ojukwu faces 12 counts linked to FIJ reports published in 2023 and 2024
- The reports questioned classroom-contract payments by the OSSAP-SDGs office
- A coalition of media and civil society groups is demanding his release
What the Ojukwu case is about
The charges arise from FIJ investigations into spending by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), then headed by Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
One report questioned a payment of 147.1 million naira by the office to a restaurant for classroom construction projects in Lagos. Another examined a 47.5 million naira classroom contract and whether the contractor mobilised to site.
The prosecution, brought by the police, alleges cyberstalking and criminal defamation. The charges also name FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo. The SDGs office has denied wrongdoing, insisting the payments were proper.
Ojukwu was previously arrested and detained for 10 days in May 2024 over the same reporting, before being released following public outcry.
Media groups react to the remand
A coalition of media and civil society organisations — including SERAP, BudgIT, the International Press Centre and Media Rights Agenda — has condemned the remand as an attack on press freedom and demanded Ojukwu's immediate release.
The groups said reporting on public spending is a legitimate matter of public interest and warned that criminal prosecution of journalists creates a climate of fear.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has separately urged the court to hear the bail application promptly, noting that Ojukwu has pleaded not guilty and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
What happens next
Ojukwu remains in custody at Kuje until the December 1 bail hearing — at least 18 days from his arraignment.
How the court handles bail, and whether the prosecution proceeds on all 12 counts, will be closely watched by press-freedom groups at home and abroad.
Credit: Joint statement of media and civil society organisations (November 11, 2026) and Punch reports.
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