An Imo-based journalist, Ejike Ogbonna, publisher of First Citizen Newspaper, has been granted bail of ₦2 million after spending 30 days in detention at the Tiger Base Police Unit, Owerri.
Ogbonna, who appeared in court in handcuffs, is facing a four-count charge bordering on alleged cyberbullying and defamation of the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Compliance, Chinasa Nwaneri, through a voice note circulated on social media.
Delivering ruling on the bail application, Presiding Magistrate C. J. Uzoechi held that the case was bailable and ordered Ogbonna to provide a surety with proof of ownership of landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, alongside the endorsement of a recognized traditional ruler. The case was adjourned to October 3, 2025, for hearing.
The development has triggered outrage among media practitioners in Imo State. Journalists condemned the prolonged detention as an attack on press freedom, urging the state police commissioner to restrain officers from being used as tools of intimidation by government officials.
Ogbonna’s ordeal has reignited debates on media rights, cybercrime laws, and political interference in journalism, with many stakeholders calling for reforms to protect freedom of expression in Nigeria.
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