Nigerian investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja over reports published by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) concerning alleged expenditure by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.
Ojukwu, an investigative journalist with FIJ, was charged alongside the organisation’s founder, Fisayo Soyombo, with cyberstalking and criminal defamation involving Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals.
The charges relate to reports published between November 2023 and January 2024 examining public spending by the SDG office.
The reports alleged that more than ₦147 million was paid to an Abuja-based restaurant for the construction of classrooms and a skills acquisition centre at a primary school in Lagos.
According to the investigation, Ojukwu found no evidence of the reported construction at the designated site and also questioned the company’s experience and track record in construction.
The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Ojukwu’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Facility after he pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts filed against him.
The court adjourned the case until December 1 for the hearing of his bail application.
Media and civil society organisations, including Amnesty International, have condemned Ojukwu’s detention, expressing concern that the use of criminal and judicial proceedings against journalists could intimidate the media and undermine freedom of expression and press freedom in Nigeria.
The case has renewed concerns over the treatment of investigative journalists and the use of legal processes in response to reports scrutinising public officials and the management of public funds.
