The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of a journalist, Stanley Ugagbe, over charges of conspiracy and cyberstalking.
ICIR reported that the court issued the remand order after the judge noted that Mr Ugagbe’s bail application was not yet ripe for hearing.
Mr Ugagbe’s lawyer, Pauline Olorunyomi, made a frantic push for the judge to hear the bail application filed earlier on Tuesday.
But the prosecution, representing the police, informed the court that it needed time to respond to the bail application and would not be available for the bail hearing nay time next week.
The trial judge adjourned the matter until 21 September, as the court’s vacation begins on 27 July.
The court order the defendant’s remand in the Kuje correctional centre in Abuja pending his bail hearing slated for September.
If the judge is unable to hear Mr Ugagbe’s bail application before the court’s vacation begins later this month, the defence team can bring it before a designated vacation judge, who is entitled to give an independent decision on it.
On 3 July, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Ugagbe, a journalist with the online news platform Secrets Reporters, was abducted from his residence in the Jikwoyi area of Abuja. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) linked the disappearance to a recent investigation published by his organisation.
On 6 July, the Nigeria Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) announced that he had been released from police custody following the Institute’s intervention.
Charges
The police charged Mr Ugagbe on six counts of conspiracy and cyberstalking.
He was a charged alongside the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Secret Reporters, Tega Oghenedoro, alias Fejiro Oliver, who is said to be at large.
They accused the duo of publishing false reports about the Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor Emem Usoro.
One of the publications iz titled, ‘CBN Deputy Governor Emem Nana Usoro Hides N1.4 Billion California Luxury Condo in Asset Declaration Scandal.’
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Another one is titled, ‘CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Linked to N3.6bn Los Angeles Property Amid Questions Over Asset Declaration Compliance.’
The third article is titled, ‘Adulterous Woman: How CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Turned Side Chic, Paraded Herself as Man’s Wife, Destroyed Couple’s Union.’
The police alleged in the charges that the publications defamed Ms Usoro.
On 6 July, the police issued a formal letter of invitation to Mr Oghenedoro. In the letter, the police claimed they were investigating a case of “Espionage, Cyberstalking and Computer-related offences.”
