The Nigerian Guild of Editors has condemned the arrest, detention and remand of Foundation for Investigative Journalism correspondent, Daniel Ojukwu, at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, demanding his immediate release on bail.
The Guild described Ojukwu’s criminal prosecution as an attack on press freedom and the right of Nigerians to receive information.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the NGE said the journalist was being prosecuted for raising questions about the expenditure of public funds.
“The Guild is deeply alarmed that a journalist whose professional duty is to investigate and report matters of public interest is being subjected to criminal prosecution and incarceration over reports that raised serious questions about the expenditure of public funds by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.
“Ojukwu’s investigation reportedly exposed the alleged payment of more than ₦147 million (approximately $109,000) to an Abuja-based restaurant for the construction of classrooms and a skills acquisition centre at a primary school in Lagos. His findings raised questions about the existence of the projects and the capacity and track record of the company involved in the contract.
“These are legitimate issues of public accountability that deserve transparent answers, not the criminalisation of the journalist who brought them to public attention,” the statement read.
PUNCH Online reports that Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, face allegations of cyberstalking and criminal defamation in connection with investigative reports on President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Ojukwu’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre on November 10, pending the hearing of his bail application on December 1.
The journalist pleaded not guilty to the 12-count charge, which also named Soyombo as a defendant.
The prosecution alleged that the reports placed Orelope-Adefulire in fear of death, violence or bodily harm.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, also requested a bench warrant against Soyombo, but the court rejected the ruling that such an order could not be issued against a defendant who had not previously been brought before it.
Soyombo subsequently said he would appear in court on December 1, despite alleging that he had not been served with the charge and proof of evidence.
The NGE said the resort to arrest, detention and criminal prosecution over journalistic work raised questions about the authorities’ commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression.
It said, “Investigative journalism is not a crime. Asking questions about public expenditure is not cyberstalking. Demanding accountability from public officials is not defamation.”
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The Guild added that public office holders should understand that their management of public resources was subject to scrutiny.
It said the media could not discharge its constitutional responsibility if journalists were threatened with arrest, prosecution and imprisonment for exposing alleged irregularities or asking uncomfortable questions.
While acknowledging that individuals had the right to seek legal redress when they believed their reputations had been injured, the NGE warned against using such rights to intimidate journalists or discourage investigations into public spending.
The Guild also expressed concern about what it described as the chilling effect of the case on investigative journalism in Nigeria.
“When a journalist can be sent to prison over a report concerning alleged misuse of public funds, the message to other journalists is unmistakable: ‘investigate at your peril.’ Such an atmosphere is inimical to transparency, accountability and democratic governance,” it said.
The NGE cited Sections 39 and 22 of the 1999 Constitution, which respectively guarantee freedom of expression and recognise the responsibility of the mass media to hold the government accountable to the people.
It urged the authorities to uphold the constitutional provisions, insisting that they should not remain mere declarations.
The Guild made five demands, including Ojukwu’s immediate release on bail pending the determination of the charges, an end to the harassment of journalists and a review of the charges against Ojukwu and Soyombo.
It also called for cases involving alleged misuse of public funds to be handled through transparent processes rather than the intimidation of journalists who expose matters of public interest.
The NGE further urged the police and other law enforcement agencies to stop abusing cybersecurity laws and called on the judiciary to protect fundamental rights.
“The Guild will not stand by while freedom of the press is eroded through intimidation, harassment and the misuse of the criminal justice system,” the statement added.
Ojukwu was arrested on May 1, 2024, over the same investigative reports and detained for 10 days before his release following protests at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Orelope-Adefulire served as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Lagos State from 2003 to 2011 before becoming Deputy Governor between 2011 and 2015, during which she also oversaw the ministry.
She later served as SSA to former President Muhammadu Buhari on SDG from 2016 and was retained in the position by Tinubu. She was Buhari’s aide when the incident that led to the case occurred.
