Chinedu Agu, a legal practitioner in Imo State, Nigeria, faces cybercrime charges after criticizing Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration on his Facebook account.
An Owerri-based lawyer and vocal critic of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration, Barrister Chinedu Agu, has been remanded in prison custody over Facebook posts alleged to be inciting and defamatory.
Agu was ordered to the Owerri Correctional Centre on Thursday by Chief Magistrate Obinna Njemanze after being arraigned on a four-count charge. The magistrate, however, noted that he lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, which involves allegations of cyberstalking and defamation. The matter was adjourned until October 29 and forwarded to the Imo State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for reassignment to a court with the proper authority.
The case stems from a series of Facebook posts by Agu on August 30, in which he accused the state government of undermining justice. In one of the posts cited by police, Agu wrote: “The courts are closed and justice has been kidnapped not by bandits in the bush, but by bandit in government… this is not government, this is tyranny trapped in sinking bureaucracy.”
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Imo State Commissioner of Police alleged that Agu’s comments were false and capable of inciting public unrest against Governor Uzodimma and his cabinet, thereby constituting an offence under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Agu was arrested on Tuesday after honoring a second police invitation, following a petition from the Imo Democratic Alliance, allegedly led by Umukoro Marvis Udechukwu accusing him of publishing inciting articles.
His bail application was moved by a legal team led by former Attorney General of Imo State, Barrister Milletus Nlemadim, but was denied by the magistrate. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri branch has since pledged to approach the Federal High Court to secure Agu’s release.
NBA Owerri chairman Chief Chris Ihentuge, who was present in court alongside the Eastern Bar Forum chairman Damian Nosike and other lawyers, said Agu’s case raises important questions about freedom of expression and the rights of legal practitioners to comment on governance issues.
Agu is well-known locally for his outspoken criticism of the state administration, and his arrest has drawn attention from legal circles and human rights advocates. Observers say the case could set a precedent for how Nigeria’s recently amended cybercrime laws are applied in matters involving political criticism.
The trial is expected to continue once the DPP assigns it to the appropriate court.
