NUJ Demands Immediate Release Of Detained FIJ Journalist Daniel Ojukwu, Cautions Security Agencies Against Clampdown On Press Freedom

The Nigeria Union of Journalists has expressed grave concern over the continued detention and prosecution of Daniel Ojukwu, an investigative reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism.

Following his arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, on 12 counts of alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation, Mr. Ojukwu was remanded in prison custody until December 1, 2026, for his bail hearing.

In a statement issued on November 12, 2026, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhassan Yahya, described the prolonged 21-day incarceration as stemming from investigative reports published in 2023 and 2024 regarding public expenditure by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.

Alhassan Yahya said the union, alongside local and international rights organisations, demands the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Ojukwu and calls for the withdrawal of all charges against both him and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo.

Alhassan Yahya strongly cautioned the Nigeria Police Force and other state security agencies against the recurring weaponisation of the Cybercrimes Act and criminal defamation laws to harass, abduct, and silence media practitioners.

He noted that Mr. Ojukwu had previously endured a 10-day abduction by police operatives in May 2024 over the exact same investigative work.

The NUJ President said, “Journalism is a constitutionally mandated public service, not a crime; deploying the apparatus of the criminal justice system to punish reporters for scrutinizing public spending undermines the very foundations of Nigeria’s democracy.”

He reminded the Police and prosecuting authorities that Section 22 and Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), alongside regional and international treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory, including Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, explicitly guarantee freedom of expression and charge the press with holding the government accountable to the people.

Alhassan Yahya added that subjecting investigative journalists to prolonged pre-trial detention over stories of overriding public interest creates a chilling climate of fear across the media landscape.

He said the Nigeria Union of Journalists stands in full solidarity with Daniel Ojukwu, the management of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, and all Nigerian journalists committed to truth and transparency.

The statement urged the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police, and the judiciary to uphold the rule of law, respect press freedom, and ensure that media professionals can discharge their constitutional duties without fear of arrest, detention, or persecution.

The statement was signed by Alhassan Yahya, National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists.