The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun State Council is asking the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, to grant bail to its member Seun Odunlami and three other journalists. They believe the charges against these journalists are bailable.
According to reports, Seun Odunlami, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, and Rowland Olonishuwa were arrested in a surprising manner related to an investigative report about a bank and its CEO, Segun Agbaje.
The journalists were first brought to court on September 27, 2024, facing two charges of cyberstalking and spreading false information. They have been held at the Ikoyi correctional center for over a month without being granted bail.
Now, the journalists are facing an updated list of 10 charges, which includes conspiracy, cyberstalking, false publications, extortion, threats, and issues related to shares and market value.
During a meeting at the NUJ secretariat in Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta, Chairman Comrade Wale Olarenwaju stated that the charges against Odunlami and the others are bailable offenses. He emphasized that keeping them in detention for over seven weeks violates their fundamental human rights.
Olarenwaju urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to revise the Cybercrime Act, 2024, saying it has been misused to intimidate the media with baseless charges.
He said, “We must recognize that the use of police forces to enforce such actions is not just an infringement of rights, but a grave infraction on the principles of justice and democracy. It is important to stress that these individuals are facing charges that are bailable, yet they remain trapped in unlawful custody that undermines our justice system.”
