By George Mgbeleke
\nAssociation seeks Daniel Ojukwu\u2019s release on bail, urges police to focus on insecurity and calls for safeguards against the misuse of cybercrime laws<\/p>\n
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnaedozie Onwubiko,strongly condemns the continued detention of Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reporter Daniel Ojukwu and calls for his release on appropriate bail conditions pending the determination of the charges against him.<\/p>\n
Ojukwu was remanded at the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja after pleading not guilty to 12 counts of alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation. The charges arise from reports published by FIJ about the expenditure of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).<\/p>\n
At his arraignment, Ojukwu\u2019s lawyer told the Federal High Court that his client had complied with the conditions of the administrative bail previously granted by the police. The prosecution sought his remand. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered that he remain in custody until December 1, when his bail application is scheduled to be heard.<\/p>\n
HURIWA urges the court to hear the application promptly and consider whether Ojukwu\u2019s continued detention is necessary while the case proceeds. The association recognises the independence of the judiciary and the court\u2019s authority to determine the matter. It also stresses that Ojukwu has pleaded not guilty and is entitled to the presumption of innocence, access to counsel and a fair hearing.<\/p>\n
The charges also name FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo. The police accuse both journalists of conspiring to commit cyberstalking and criminal defamation in connection with four reports concerning Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, a former Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals and former Lagos State deputy governor.
\nThe prosecution told the court that Soyombo was at large and sought a bench warrant; the judge declined the request because he had not been brought before her.<\/p>\n
Reporting on public spending serves the public interest<\/p>\n
The FIJ reports examined public spending by OSSAP-SDGs. They raised questions about payments of \u20a6147.1 million and \u20a647.5 million for classroom projects, the performance of solar panels installed in classrooms, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission\u2019s forfeiture of \u20a6241 million linked to the office.<\/p>\n
These issues concern the use of public resources and warrant clear answers from the relevant authorities. If any report contains inaccuracies, the affected parties have the right to respond and pursue lawful remedies.
\nWhere questions about public expenditure require investigation, the appropriate response is to provide information, disclose relevant records and examine the evidence.<\/p>\n
HURIWA is concerned that criminal charges connected to investigative reporting may discourage journalists from examining allegations of corruption or asking public officials to account for government spending. <\/p>\n
The prosecution must be able to demonstrate the legal basis for the charges and show that the criminal process is not being used to punish or intimidate journalists for carrying out their work.<\/p>\n
The association does not prejudge the case or the truth of the reports. It insists that the allegations against the journalists be determined through a fair process, while the underlying questions about public spending receive appropriate scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Constitutional protections must be respected<\/p>\n
HURIWA reminds the Federal Government and law-enforcement agencies that Section 22 of the Constitution assigns the press a role in holding government accountable. Section 39 protects freedom of expression, including the freedom to receive and impart information. These protections are essential to public debate and democratic oversight.<\/p>\n
The association calls on President Bola Tinubu to make clear that journalists must not be targeted for legitimate reporting, and to ensure that federal agencies respect constitutional rights in carrying out their duties. This call does not ask the President to interfere with the court or dictate the outcome of a pending case. It asks the government to prevent the misuse of executive and law-enforcement powers against journalists and to uphold the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.<\/p>\n
Police resources should address urgent security threats<\/p>\n
HURIWA calls on the Inspector-General of Police to direct the Nigeria Police Force to focus its resources on protecting lives and property and addressing the country\u2019s serious security challenges.<\/p>\n
Communities across Nigeria continue to face attacks, abductions and other forms of armed violence. Farmers and residents in Benue, Nasarawa and other affected states need effective protection, timely police response and thorough investigations. The police should pursue those responsible for terrorism, banditry and attacks on civilians, regardless of their identity or affiliation.<\/p>\n
The association cautions against language that assigns criminal conduct to an entire ethnic or religious community. Investigations and prosecutions should focus on individuals and groups for whom there is credible evidence, while protecting innocent people from collective blame.<\/p>\n
The police have a vital role in enforcing the law, but that role must be exercised consistently and in the public interest. HURIWA urges the Inspector-General to ensure that cybercrime provisions are not used as a shortcut to detain reporters over work that should be addressed through evidence, fair process and the rights of reply and correction.<\/p>\n
Cybercrimes Act needs stronger safeguards<\/p>\n
HURIWA calls on the Attorney-General of the Federation to propose and pursue amendments to the Cybercrimes Act that clearly protect journalists and other members of the public from the criminalisation of legitimate expression and reporting.<\/p>\n
Any reform should preserve effective legal remedies for genuine cybercrime and online abuse while preventing broadly worded provisions from being applied to suppress criticism, investigative journalism or discussion of public affairs. The law should provide clear standards, require due process and protect freedom of expression and the press.<\/p>\n
The association urges the Federal Government, the National Assembly and relevant stakeholders to review provisions that may enable disproportionate arrests, detention or prosecution over speech. Such a review should be transparent and include input from journalists, civil-society groups, legal experts and the public.<\/p>\n
HURIWA\u2019s demands<\/p>\n
HURIWA calls for:<\/p>\n
– Ojukwu\u2019s prompt release on appropriate bail conditions pending trial;
\n– a timely and fair hearing of his bail application;
\n– a review of the charges against Ojukwu and Soyombo to ensure they are not being used to punish legitimate reporting;
\n– a clear response from relevant authorities to the public-spending questions raised in the FIJ reports;
\n– safeguards against the misuse of the Cybercrimes Act and other criminal laws to intimidate journalists;
\n– stronger police action to protect communities facing terrorism, banditry and other armed violence; and
\n– proposed amendments to the Cybercrimes Act that safeguard press freedom and constitutional rights.<\/p>\n
HURIWA will continue to monitor the case and call for the rights of all parties to be respected. The association urges the authorities to uphold the rule of law, protect journalists from intimidation and ensure that questions about the management of public funds are answered transparently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By George Mgbeleke Association seeks Daniel Ojukwu\u2019s release on bail, urges police to focus on insecurity and calls for safeguards against the misuse of cybercrime laws The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnaedozie Onwubiko,strongly condemns the continued detention of Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law-crime"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19750,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19749\/revisions\/19750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}