A journalist, blogger and publisher, Ms Azuka Ogujiuba, who operates an Instagram handle known as mediaroomhub, has filed a N100 million fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Nigeria Police over her alleged unlawful and unconstitutional harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention.
In the suit filed on her behalf by Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Sunday Onubi, Ms Ogujiuba named as respondents the Nigeria Police Force (NPF); Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Moses Jolugbo of the Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and two businessmen and property developers, Mr. Adewale Oladapo and Mr. Ikenna Jideofor Ogbu.
The journalist is asking the court to declare that the invitation to her by the Police as well as harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention to which she was subjected by the officers of the NPF and its SIU at the Asokoro Division from August 8 to 11, 2025 at the instigation of Mr. Oladapo and Mr. Ogbu over her online publication on her Instagram page, mediaroomhubb, in line with the order of a court by Justice E.O. Ashade, made on March 25, 2025 in a suit between Capital Gardens Limited v. Oretol Nigeria Limited, Mr. Adewale Oladapo at the Yaba/Surulere High Court of Lagos State is unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal and constitutes an infringement of, and an unjustifiable interference with her fundamental rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, to freedom of expression, to liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 6 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
She is also asking the court to issue an order directing the NPF, SIU and the property developers, jointly and severally, to issue an apology to her for her alleged unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal arrest and detention at the Asokoro Division of the NPF from August 8 to 11, 2025, over her online publication, a purely civil matter.
Ms Ogujiuba is seeking an order awarding her the sum of N100 million against the Respondents jointly and severally for the alleged unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal arrest and detention as well as an order enforcing her fundamental rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty; to liberty and freedom expression; and freedom of movement by restraining the Respondents jointly or severally by themselves, their agents, servants or privies howsoever described from inviting, arresting, detaining, harassing, intimidating, or threatening her over her publication.
She said in the suit that on July 18, 2025, she received an invitation from the Police dated June 17, 2025, requiring her presence on July 22, 2025, to make clarifications in relation to an ongoing investigation at the SIU office in Abuja. However, through her solicitors, she requested a postponement of the meeting to August 6, 2026, as she was not available on the originally scheduled date, and the request was granted.
According to her, when she honoured the invitation on August 6, 2025, she was interrogated by the Police and told that she was invited at the instance of the two property developers regarding her publication on her Instagram page on May 23, 2025.
Ms Ogujiuba alleged that she was intimidated and harassed by the Police officers who claimed that she had no authority to publish the outcome of the Court proceedings as she had done and was told that she would be released only when she takes down the publication from her Instagram page.
She also alleged that the SIU officers insisted that she would be detained indefinitely at the will of the two businessmen until she complied with the directive to remove the publication from her page and issued a retraction and apology to them.
Ms Ogujiuba said she stressed to them that the publication was accurate and not malicious as it was made pursuant to a court order, which she verified before publishing it on her Instagram page.
According to her, although the SIU officers initially insisted on detaining her, they eventually released her when she informed them that at the time, her Instagram handle was restricted and that she could not remove the “offending” publication or issue an apology and retraction.
Ms Ogujiuba recounted that she was released on bail at about 6pm and requested to report to the office again in two weeks, on August 20, 2025.
However, she said to her surprise, on August 8, 2025, barely 48 hours after she was released on bail and requested to report in two weeks, she received a telephone call from the SIU demanding that she report immediately to their office.
She said that since she was out of Abuja at the time, she informed the caller that she would report to their office as soon as she returned to the city, but the caller insisted that she should come immediately, as the two businessmen had come into town and were insisting that she must come immediately to resolve the complaint they had made against her.
Ms Ogujiuba narrated that when she returned to Abuja later that day, she stopped at her home to freshen up before heading to the SIU office but that unknown to her, the SIU officers were lurking around her house and as soon as she stepped into her house, the officers pounced on her, assaulted her, subjected her to degrading and inhumane treatment and dragged her out of the apartment to their office.
She said at the office that she was accused of refusing to delete the post on her Instagram page and failing to issue a retraction and tender an apology to the two businessmen. She was therefore thrown into the cell and detained at the Asokoro Police Division from that day, August 8, until August 11.
Ms Ogujiuba claimed that while she was in custody, she was informed by the SIU officers that she was being incarcerated at the instance of the two businessmen to teach her a lesson and that policemen attempted to pressure her to write statements indicting third parties, but that she refused to do so.
She said in the course of her detention, she was forced by the Police to disclose the source of her information, particularly the name, address and telephone number of the source and also forced by the Police to contact her staff to delete the Instagram post and in its place issue a retraction and public apology as a condition for granting her bail as demanded by the two businessmen.
Ms Ogujiuba alleged that before releasing her, the Police threatened that they would continue to monitor her and that following her release from custody, she has continued to live in fear for her safety and wellbeing.
She pleaded that unless the Court intervenes to enforce her fundamental rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and to freedom of movement and liberty by making the orders sought in the suit, the Police and Respondents will continue to infringe on her fundamental rights for no just or reasonable cause.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
