Investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu, of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja over reports exposing alleged irregularities in the spending of public funds by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.
The reports, published between November 2023 and January 2024, examined how more than ₦147 million was reportedly paid to an Abuja-based restaurant for the construction of classrooms and a skills acquisition centre at a primary school in Lagos. Ojukwu’s investigation, however, found no evidence of the projects at the designated location and raised questions about the company’s experience in construction.
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Court Orders Ojukwu’s Remand
The police accused Ojukwu and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo, of cyberstalking and criminal defamation against Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals.
Ojukwu pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges brought against him before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court subsequently ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until December 1, 2026, when his bail application is expected to be heard.
Soyombo Visits Colleague, Promises Court Appearance
Following a visit to Ojukwu at the correctional facility, Soyombo described his colleague as being in good spirits despite his detention. However, he expressed concern about Ojukwu’s health, particularly his long-running battle with asthma.
In a post shared on Instagram, Soyombo also disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police had described him as being “at large” and sought a bench warrant for his arrest.
He, however, announced his intention to appear before the Federal High Court on December 1 as the second defendant in the case, despite stating that he had not been personally served with the criminal charge or proof of evidence.
Explaining his decision, Soyombo wrote:
“A truth-teller has nothing to fear or any reason to run.”
He was accompanied during the prison visit by Funke Adeoye, founder of Hope Behind Bars Africa, and Busola Ajibola, Deputy Director of Journalism at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
Arrest Raises Fresh Concerns Over Press Freedom
Ojukwu’s current legal battle follows his arrest in Lagos on May 1, 2024, after the publication of the investigative reports. His colleagues initially reported him missing after they were unable to reach him, before the police confirmed his detention and transferred him to Abuja.
At the time, FIJ founder Soyombo described the arrest as an “abduction”, arguing that Ojukwu had not been invited to respond to any concerns about his reporting before he was picked up.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also called for his immediate release, urging Nigerian authorities to stop intimidating journalists investigating the management of public funds.
CPJ’s Africa programme head, Angela Quintal, said:
“The Nigerian police’s investigation into such a reputable media outlet demonstrates the alarming extent to which they are willing to go to silence journalists seeking to expose crime.”
Other media and civil society organisations, including Amnesty International and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, have also raised concerns about the treatment of journalists and the growing use of legal processes against independent reporting.
The case has renewed conversations about press freedom, journalists’ safety and the responsibility of public institutions to allow scrutiny of government spending without intimidating those who investigate it.
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