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On Wednesday, the Magistrate’s Court in Owerri was without a chief magistrate, postponing the arraignment of Chinedu Agu, a lawyer and activist from Owerri, on charges of cyberstalking Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State.
On Tuesday, members of the X-Squad Unit of the Inspector-General of Police apprehended Agu, a well-known opponent of Uzodimma’s government, in response to a petition purportedly submitted by an obscure organisation, the Imo Democratic Alliance. The governor was allegedly the target of “inciting and defamatory” pieces published by Agu, according to the petition.
Two of Agu’s most popular works are “Imo State – Where Justice Is on Vacation During Court Vacation” and “Tears from Enugu: A Lawyer’s Heartbreaking Diary from a State that Works to a State in Ruins.” Declan Emelumba, the Commissioner for Information, took exception to the pieces and called them “Satanic verses.”
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Cyberstalking, character slander, inciting civil unrest, and behaviour likely to lead to a disturbance are among the allegations against Agu, according to DSP Henry Okoye, a spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command.
Okoye assured reporters in Owerri that the arraignment had been conducted lawfully and with proper regard for the defendant’s basic human rights.
Unfortunately, the magistrates were allegedly attending an official gathering, thus proceedings could not take place. Police returned Agu to their custody when attorneys were notified that no chief magistrate was present, following hours of waiting.
The news was confirmed by Damian Nosike, chairman of the Eastern Bar Forum, who brought a large group of attorneys to court in support of Agu.
It has now come to our attention that the charges against our colleague Chinedu Agu cannot be preferred because no chief magistrate is available. Based on what Nosike indicated, it seems likely that the police will return him to their office and bring him back to court tomorrow.
Notable solicitors such as Stanley Imo, SAN, who served as chair of the NBA Owerri branch, Chris Ihentuge, who is currently the branch chairman, and other regional bar leaders were also in attendance.
Agu, via his attorneys, maintained that the accusations were politically driven and levelled allegations at the Imo Democratic Alliance, claiming that it is an unregistered group without an office.
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, he will likely be arraigned.
Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa, a journalist from Kebbi State, was detained earlier this month following the release of a video that went viral and exposed the inadequate conditions at Kangiwa General Hospital. This case has already prompted analogies to his imprisonment.
Concerned that the Nigerian government was more interested in censoring dissenting voices than in fixing the country’s faulty leadership, human rights organisations denounced Kangiwa’s detention as an attack on free speech.
Many are worried that journalists, activists, and attorneys who oppose the Nigerian government are being unfairly targeted under cyberstalking and defamation laws in light of Agu’s arrest.