How Court Remanded FIJ Journalist Daniel Ojukwu In Kuje Prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday remanded the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reporter, Daniel Ojukwu, at the Kuje Correctional Centre until December 1, 2026, after rejecting his lawyer’s request to allow him to remain on police administrative bail.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik made the order while hearing a 12-count cyberstalking and criminal defamation charge instituted against Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, over investigative reports published in 2023 and 2024 concerning Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ojukwu, who pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts, was ordered to remain in custody after the prosecution, led by Kunle Lawal, requested his remand in prison.

However, defence counsel, Atanda Kayode, opposed the application, drawing the court’s attention to a pending bail application filed on behalf of the journalist.

Kayode also urged the court to allow Ojukwu to continue enjoying the administrative bail earlier granted him by the police, arguing that he had not breached any of its conditions.

But Justice Abdulmalik rejected the request, noting that the defendant had filed his bail application only on Monday and that the application was not yet ripe for hearing.

The judge also questioned why the defence had waited until recently to file the application, despite the charges having been served on the defendant long before then.

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing of the bail application until December 1 and ordered that Ojukwu be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the proceedings.

The prosecution also informed the court that the second defendant, Soyombo, was still at large and requested a bench warrant for his arrest.

However, Justice Abdulmalik declined the request, explaining that Soyombo had not yet been brought before her to warrant the issuance of such an order.

The 12-count charge, dated September 19, 2024, arose from four investigative reports published by FIJ between November 2023 and January 2024.

The reports examined alleged irregularities involving public funds allocated for classroom construction projects under the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs.

One of the reports, published on November 7, 2023, alleged that the SDGs office paid N147.1 million to a restaurant for classroom construction in Lagos shortly before the end of the Buhari administration.

Another publication questioned a N47.5 million classroom construction contract awarded to Tru3 Nigeria Limited, raising concerns about the contractor’s operations, mobilisation to the project site and the nature of the project.

A separate report examined the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s forfeiture of N241 million linked to the SDGs office, while another alleged that solar panels installed at classroom blocks in Ogun State stopped working barely a week after their installation.

The police accused Ojukwu and Soyombo of conspiring to commit cyberstalking and criminal defamation, alleging that the publications were intended to harass Orelope-Adefulire, put her in fear of death or bodily harm, and damage her reputation.

The journalists were also accused of knowingly publishing false and defamatory reports.

The defendants have denied the allegations through Ojukwu’s not-guilty plea.

Tuesday’s remand order comes more than two years after Ojukwu was arrested and detained by police operatives in May 2024 over the same investigative reports.

He was reported missing on May 1, 2024, after leaving his residence, with his phones switched off and his whereabouts unknown to his family, colleagues and friends.

It was later discovered that operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team had taken him into custody and detained him at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Lagos.

He was subsequently transferred to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja, where he spent additional days in detention.

Ojukwu was released on May 10, 2024, following public protests and pressure from human rights advocates and media organisations.

However, the police reportedly retained his international passport, citing concerns that he might flee the country.