SERAP Demands Release of Detained FIJ Journalist, End to Prosecution of Journalists

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to secure the immediate release of Mr Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), from the Kuje Correctional and Custodial Centre, Abuja.

SERAP also urged the federal government to stop using criminal defamation and cyberstalking charges to intimidate or punish journalists reporting on alleged corruption and the management of public funds.

The call followed Mr Ojukwu’s remand by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, pending the determination of his bail application.

Mr Ojukwu was reportedly remanded on Tuesday until December 1, 2026, after being arraigned on 12 counts bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges, while the court adjourned his bail hearing until December.

SERAP further called for an end to the prosecution and alleged harassment of Mr Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Mr 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 said the reports, published in 2023 and January 2024, questioned payments of N147.1 million and N47.5 million for classroom construction projects, as well as claims that solar panels installed at some of the projects stopped functioning shortly after completion.

Describing the issues raised as matters of legitimate public interest, SERAP said public officials and institutions should expect scrutiny of their decisions and the management of public resources.

It argued that authorities should respond to investigative reports by providing explanations, disclosing relevant records and investigating allegations of wrongdoing rather than prosecuting journalists.

SERAP expressed concern that Ojukwu’s continued detention could discourage journalists from investigating and reporting on corruption for fear of arrest, detention and imprisonment.

It recalled that the journalist was previously detained for 10 days in May 2024 over reports concerning the same public official and alleged expenditure of public funds.

The organisation 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 as provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression and media freedom.

It maintained that these protections cover the right to seek, receive and share information, including views that may be critical or unwelcome to public officials.

SERAP also referenced paragraph 47 of the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 34, which cautions against the use of defamation laws to restrict freedom of expression and encourages states to recognise truth and public interest as defences, avoid excessive penalties and consider decriminalising defamation.