Protesters storm Ikoyi court as UK-based blogger Maureen Badejo gets bail

A coalition of civil society groups in Lagos State on Monday stormed the Federal High Court in Ikoyi to demand the release of UK-based Nigerian blogger and journalist, Maureen Badejo.

Our correspondent that organisations in the coalition include the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, and the Citizens Rights Advocacy Group.

Others include the Access to Advocacy and Rights of the People, Advocates in Defence of Human Rights and Culture, and the Health and Human Rights Initiative.

Badejo is currently remanded in Kirikiri Prison.

Members of the group, numbering over 100, were seen within the court premises wearing white T-shirts with inscriptions such as “Silencing the truth: Pastors are not God,” “Free Maureen Badejo now,” and “Justice must prevail,” among others.

Our correspondent reports that, in a twist of events, the court granted the blogger bail while the protesters were still at its premises.

Counsel to the blogger, Dr Yinka Owoeye, disclosed that though Badejo had been granted bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties, she was yet to meet the bail conditions as at the time of filing this report.

The counsel said they were pleased with the court for eventually rescinding its earlier decision and granting their client bail.

Spokesperson for the coalition, Mr Ola Agboola, said the protest was organised to press home their demand that Badejo be granted bail and that the suit against her be squashed.

Our correspondent recalls that Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, on March 6, ordered the remand of the blogger in the Kirikiri facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of her bail application.

0peratives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, arrested Badejo in Lagos in February, following petitions over alleged defamation.

On March 6, she was arraigned before Justice Aluko on charges of conspiracy and defamation brought under the Criminal Code Act and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

Although she pleaded not guilty to the charges, the prosecution successfully argued that she was a flight risk, leading the court to remand her at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending a ruling on her bail application, scheduled for Monday, March 16.

The prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, informed the court that the blogger, alongside others now at large, had allegedly committed the offences since November 2021.

Specifically, Animashaun informed the court that the defendant and others now at large allegedly conspired to publish and transmit defamatory statements and videos through her YouTube channel and Facebook platforms against Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries and Dickson Osagie.

She was further alleged to have falsely accused Suleman of having a sexual relationship with one Martha, a 14-year-old girl, and of being in unlawful possession of guns and ammunition without the appropriate licence.

The prosecutor also accused her of portraying Suleman as a cultist, rapist, assassin, ritualist and other criminal designations.

She was further alleged to have placed both Suleman and Dickson in fear of death or bodily harm by making and publishing defamatory statements about them.

But the coalition spokesperson insisted that all charges against her be dropped.

He said the coalition had written petitions on the matter to the National Human Rights Commission, copying the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Chief Judge of the Federation.

Ayoola alleged that the detention was unlawful and a violation of the fundamental human rights of the UK-based blogger, who is also a journalist and owner of GIO TV.

“The continued detention of Ms Badejo, particularly the use of pre-trial custody to coerce and punish her for bailable offences, constitutes a clear violation.

“This is contrary to Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, which guarantees the right to receive information and express opinions.”

“Her detention violates Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guaranteeing the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

“It also violates Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees the right to personal liberty.

“ Detention should not be the default position for bailable offences, and the presumption of innocence must be upheld,” Ayoola argued.