The Ogun state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has requested that the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, grant bail to its member Seun Odunlami and three others. The council asserts that the allegations against the journalists are bailable.
According to reports, Seun Odunlami, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, and Rowland Olonishuwa were apprehended in what has been described as a gestapo-style operation, in connection with an alleged investigative report involving a bank and its CEO, Segun Agbaje.
The journalists were initially brought to court on September 27, 2024, facing two charges of cyberstalking and making false publications. They have been detained at the Ikoyi correctional center for over a month without bail.
The charges have since been amended to include ten counts related to conspiracy, cyberstalking, false and misleading publications, extortion, threats, and loss of shares and market value, among others.
During a meeting with council mpembers on Monday at the Iwe Iroyin secretariat in Abeokuta, Chairman Comrade Wale Olarenwaju emphasized that the offenses alleged against Odunlami and the others are bailable and that their extended detention is a violation of their fundamental human rights.
Olarenwaju urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to review the Cybercrime Act of 2024, arguing that the law has been misused to intimidate the media with baseless charges in court.
He stated, “It is crucial to recognize that using police forces to enforce such actions not only infringes on rights but also severely undermines the principles of justice and democracy. These individuals face bailable charges yet remain unlawfully detained, violating their rights and undermining our justice system.”
Peoplesmind
