Two different Magistrate Courts sitting in Asaba, Delta State, on October 28, 2025, granted bail to Mr Tega Oghenedoro, popularly known as Fejiro Oliver, a journalist and publisher of Secret Reporters, an online platform for investigative journalism, who had been in custody since September 19, 2025. Mr Oghenedoro was arrested on September 19, at his office in Abuja, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Department (FID), and flown to Asaba, the Delta State capital, where he was detained.
He was first arraigned at an Asaba High Court on October 9 and during proceedings, the presiding judge, Justice Olufunmilola A. Agbaje, adjourned the matter to October 16, 2025, for ruling on pending applications and ordered Mr Oghenedoro’s continued remand at the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre.
Recall that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had in a suit marked FHC/ASB/163c/2025, accused him of cyberstalking Governor Oborevwori and Senator Dafinone through a series of Facebook posts the police described as “defamatory.” The police subsequently amended the two counts signed by CSP Gladys Imegu, R.O. Eze, and Dr R.O. Ishiguzo.
On October 16, 2025, the journalist was arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police at the Federal High Court 2 in Asaba on a two-count charge of defamation and cyberstalking Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Senator Ede Dafinone representing Delta Central in the Senate. The court granted him bail.
However, before he could perfect his bail condition and be released, Magistrate Edith Nkechi Anumadu issued a warrant on October 17 directing the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre to produce him in court.
Meanwhile, Mr Oghenedoro was, on October 28, 2025, arraigned and charged with defamation, cyberstalking, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace at two separate Magistrate Courts in Asaba. The cases, titled “Criminal Defamation of Character and Cyberstalking of Hon. Stella Okotete by Fejiro Oliver and Complaint of Cyberstalking, Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of the Public Peace, Defamation, and Publication of Injurious Falsehood Against Senator Joel Onowakpo Thomas by Fejiro Oliver,” were initiated separately by the two public figures.
The journalist was arraigned at Magistrate Court 3, presided over by Magistrate Edith Nkechi Anumadu, and Magistrate Court 2 presided over by Magistrate Patricia Onyeisi Okoh.
The Delta State government, through the State’s Attorney General, filed two separate defamation cases marked CMA/529C/2025 and CMA/530C/2025 against Mr Oghenedoro, accusing him of defaming Senator Joel Onowakpo Thomas, who represents Delta South Senatorial District, and Stella Okotete, an Executive Director at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank.
In the first charge, the journalist allegedly referred to Senator Onowakpo as a “blockhead senator” and “politically useless,” while in the second charge, he was accused of publishing defamatory material against Okotete, whose ministerial nomination by President Bola Tinubu was previously rejected by the Senate.
The two Magistrates granted Mr Oghenedoro bail under strict conditions with each requiring a surety with landed property within jurisdiction and the deposit of his international passport. One of the Magistrates further directed that a second surety must be a close relative of the journalist.
Mr Oghenedoro was eventually released on November 17, after spending 61 days in detention.
