Invictus Africa Demands Immediate Release Of Detained Journalist

Invictus Africa, a civil society organization that promotes human rights and gender equality through data-driven advocacy, digital technologies, and capacity development, has strongly condemned the arrest and the continued detention of investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu without bail, formal charges, or proper legal proceedings.

The organization expressed this in a press release signed by its Communications Officer, Sola Abe, and posted on X on Wednesday.

The statement further read, “Today marks the eighth day of Ojukwu’s unlawful detention with no sign of release in sight, which violates his fundamental human rights to expression as enshrined in Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as the requirement of not detaining a suspect beyond 24 hours without charge or trial according to sections 30 and 31 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

“Ojukwu was unlawfully arrested under the premise of violating the Cybercrime Act, 2015 following a petition against him for a story that he wrote uncovering alleged corruption against Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in her capacity as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs) under the former President Buhari’s administration.

“Invictus Africa strongly believes that the cybercrime accusation leveled against Ojukwu, who should have been applauded for his effort in exposing financial misconduct within the government, is an attempt to intimidate and harass journalists who are committed to speaking truth to power and ultimately gagging press freedom in Nigeria.”

The organization further appealed to the government to uphold the rights of journalists.

“We urgently call on the government to respect and protect the rights of journalists. Freedom of the press is the foundation of a democratic society. Journalists must never be afraid to carry out their work for risk of criminalization or persecution.

“If Nigeria must be great again, everyone, regardless of status and position must uphold the principles of accountability and transparency. Political leaders must understand that it is unacceptable to silence journalists through unjust means when their reporting uncovers inconvenient truths.

“Invictus Africa stands in solidarity with journalists like Daniel Ojukwu and reaffirms its commitment to defending press freedom and human rights in Nigeria. Together, we must strive to create a society where truth prevails, and justice is upheld for all.”

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