The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to ensure the immediate release of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
SERAP also urged the Federal Government to immediately end what it described as the prosecution and harassment of Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, over investigative reports concerning the alleged expenditure of public funds by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
The organisation further called on the Nigerian authorities to stop using criminal defamation and cyberstalking charges to intimidate, harass and punish journalists for carrying out their professional responsibilities, particularly when reporting on alleged corruption and the management of public resources.
Ojukwu was reportedly remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre on Tuesday by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following his arraignment on 12 counts bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
The journalist pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The court subsequently adjourned the hearing of his pending bail application until December 1, 2026, ordering that he remain in custody at the correctional facility until then.
Reacting to the development, SERAP expressed concern that Ojukwu’s continued detention sends a chilling message to journalists, media organisations and other individuals seeking to expose alleged corruption and scrutinise how public funds are managed in Nigeria.
The organisation said the prosecution arose from investigative reports published in 2023 and January 2024, which raised questions about alleged payments of ₦147.1 million and ₦47.5 million for classroom construction projects under the OSSAP-SDGs.
The reports also questioned the reported failure of solar panels installed at some of the projects shortly after their completion, raising concerns about the quality of the projects and the expenditure of public resources.
According to SERAP, these issues are matters of legitimate public interest, stressing that public officials and government institutions must be prepared to answer questions about their decisions and the utilisation of taxpayers’ money.
The organisation argued that the appropriate response to investigative journalism raising questions about public expenditure should be for authorities to provide explanations, disclose relevant documents and, where necessary, investigate allegations of wrongdoing rather than subject journalists to criminal prosecution and imprisonment.
SERAP described Ojukwu’s latest detention as particularly troubling, recalling that the journalist was previously detained for 10 days in May 2024 over reporting concerning the same public official and alleged expenditure of public funds.
It warned that his continued prosecution could deepen an atmosphere of fear among journalists and discourage media practitioners from investigating and reporting alleged corruption because of the possibility of arrest, detention and imprisonment.
The organisation maintained that journalists should not be criminalised for asking questions about public projects, government spending and the activities of public officials entrusted with managing public resources.
SERAP also drew attention to the constitutional and international protections guaranteeing freedom of expression and media freedom in Nigeria.
It cited Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Nigeria is a state party.
According to the organisation, these provisions protect the right of individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, including opinions and information that may be critical, controversial or unwelcome to public officials.
SERAP stressed that freedom of expression is particularly important when journalists investigate alleged corruption, public expenditure and the conduct of individuals occupying positions of public responsibility.
It argued that public officials must tolerate robust scrutiny and criticism, especially when questions concern the exercise of public power and the management of public funds.
The organisation also referenced Paragraph 47 of the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 34, which emphasises that defamation laws should not be used to stifle freedom of expression.
The committee urges states to recognise truth and public interest as defences in defamation cases, avoid excessively punitive measures and consider decriminalising defamation.
SERAP’s intervention comes amid renewed concerns over the use of criminal laws against journalists investigating alleged corruption and holding public institutions accountable.
The organisation is demanding that President Tinubu and Attorney General Fagbemi intervene to secure Ojukwu’s immediate release, end the prosecution of the FIJ journalists and ensure that criminal defamation and cyberstalking laws are not deployed to punish legitimate investigative reporting.
