ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Wednesday arraigned journalist Friday Alefia before the Federal High Court in Abuja, ending his six-week-long detention without trial. Mr. Alefia, the publisher of the online news platform Naija News Today (formerly Asiwaju Media), pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge related to cybercrime offenses for allegedly publishing false reports about a serving Nigerian lawmaker.
Mr. Alefia was arrested in Lagos on September 23 and subsequently transferred to Abuja, where he was held at a facility of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), despite persistent demands from his family and legal team for him to be charged or released.
The charges, filed by the Commissioner of Police, list Mr. Alefia as the first defendant and his company, Asiwaju Media Company Ltd, as the second. They accuse him of using computer systems and social media platforms, including Facebook, to publish reports allegedly critical of Chinedu Ogah, the lawmaker representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Bail Request Denied; Remanded in Kuje Prison
During the proceedings before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, Mr. Alefia pleaded not guilty to all five counts. The judge entered a similar plea on behalf of the second defendant.
When the prosecution applied for a trial date, the defense lawyer, Israel Abida, attempted to move a pending bail application. However, both the judge and the prosecution stated they had not been formally served with the application, and no such document was in the court file.
Despite Mr. Abida’s plea for a short adjournment, noting the defendant’s extended detention of nearly two months, Justice Egwuatu declined the request. The judge maintained, “Since there is no application in the court’s file and no evidence that the prosecution has been served, you cannot ask for a short adjournment when I have not read the application.”
Justice Egwuatu then adjourned the case until January 27 for the hearing and ordered that Mr. Alefia be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Charges under Cybercrime Act Draw Criticism
The five counts detail specific publications, including reports titled “How Federal Lawmaker Ogah Snatches Village Land in Ebonyi” and “Ebonyi Rep Member Returns N4 Million Amidst Extortion Allegations.” They also include a cyberstalking charge related to a Facebook post. The police allege that all five counts violate Section 24(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act and are punishable under Section 24(2)(c)(i).
The use of the Cybercrime Act to prosecute journalists has been widely criticized by local and international rights organisations, who argue that government agencies are misusing the law to suppress free speech, activists, and public commentators.
Mr. Alefia joins a growing list of journalists prosecuted under this law since its inception in 2015, a trend that critics highlight amid figures showing 751 arrests for cyber-related offenses in 2024.
