By Akinwale Kasali
Following the arraignment and remand in Prison Custody of Daniel Ojukwu, an investigative journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ, over alleged Cyberstalking and Criminal Defamation, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
The Journalists body also called for the withdrawal of all charges against Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, warning security agencies against using the Cybercrimes Act and Criminal Defamation laws to intimidate journalists and suppress press freedom.
The NUJ made the demand in a press statement dated November 12, 2026, signed by its National President, Alhassan Yahya.
According to the statement, Ojukwu was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, on 12 counts bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation and subsequently remanded in prison custody until December 1, 2026, when his bail hearing is scheduled to take place.
The Union said the charges arose from investigative reports published in 2023 and 2024 concerning public expenditure by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
Expressing concern over what it described as the recurring weaponisation of cybercrime and defamation laws against media practitioners, the NUJ recalled that Ojukwu had previously been abducted by police operatives for 10 days in May 2024 over the same investigative reports.
It cautioned the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies against actions capable of undermining the constitutional responsibilities of journalists, insisting that investigative reporting on public expenditure should not be treated as a criminal offence.
“Journalism is a constitutionally mandated public service, not a crime,” the statement declared, adding that using the criminal justice system to punish journalists for scrutinising public spending threatens the foundations of democracy.
The NUJ further cited Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, as well as Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee freedom of expression and recognise the importance of a free press.
It warned that subjecting investigative journalists to prolonged pre-trial detention over matters of public interest could create an atmosphere of fear within the media industry and discourage journalists from holding public officials accountable.
The Union reaffirmed its solidarity with Ojukwu, the management of FIJ and other Nigerian journalists committed to truth, transparency and accountability.
It also appealed to the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police and the judiciary to uphold the rule of law, protect press freedom and ensure that journalists can perform their constitutional duties without intimidation, unlawful arrest, detention or persecution.
The NUJ stressed that a free and independent media remained essential to democratic accountability and good governance in Nigeria.
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