The legal community in Imo State has erupted in outrage after an Owerri Chief Magistrate, Obinna Njemanze, ordered the remand of lawyer and activist, Chinedu Agu, at the Owerri Correctional Centre for criticising Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.

Agu, known for his outspoken views on governance, was arraigned on four counts of cyberstalking, criminal defamation, and incitement. Prosecutors alleged that his social media posts—describing Imo as “tyranny trapped in sinking bureaucracy” and accusing security agencies of abuses—were false, defamatory, and capable of inciting unrest.

He pleaded not guilty.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) swiftly condemned the charges as an attack on free speech and an attempt to muzzle dissent. In a statement signed by its President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), the association pledged full support for Agu, stressing that criticism of government policies is protected under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution.

Former National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, also weighed in, blasting the charges as politically motivated. He praised members of the NBA Owerri branch for turning up in court and at the correctional centre in solidarity with their embattled colleague.

“They’ll be back tomorrow when, hopefully, we’ll have some righting of the wrong done today by that corrupt order of an errant Magistrate on a transparent errand,” Odinkalu wrote on X.

 

Despite a bail application filed by Agu’s legal team, Magistrate Njemanze refused to grant it, ruling that he lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. He ordered Agu’s continued detention pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The case was adjourned to October 29, 2025.

Senior lawyers, including NBA Owerri branch chairman, Chris Ihentuge, and Eastern Bar Forum chairman, Damian Nosike, were present at the hearing, underscoring the growing legal resistance against what they described as “judicial intimidation.”

The case has since sparked nationwide debate on the shrinking space for free expression and the increasing use of cybercrime laws against government critics.