Metro

Edo: Journalists Fume As Overzealous Mobile Police Officer Threatens Arrest

Published

3 years ago

March 18, 2023

A Mobile Police officer, who simply identified himself as Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Isah threatened to arrest journalists who were carrying out their lawful duty on Saturday on Sapele Road, Benin, Edo State.

Trouble started when the vehicle conveying the CSP suddenly accosted a vehicle driven by Otunba Mike Aladenika, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State council, with his vehicle and asked who he (Aladenika) was.

The former Chairman was explaining himself when the vehicle next to him in the Convoy of journalists, which was driven by Mr. Ozioruva Aliu, the Edo State Correspondent of Vanguard newspaper who happens to be former secretary of the council alighted from his vehicle to join the explanation by identifing Otunba as a journalist and former Chairman of the council.

But Isah, who said he is the second in command of the Mobile Police Division in the state, was not satisfied with the explanation but rather questioned why journalists would drive in a convoy on election day.

Despite the journalists showing the officer their Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) accreditation tags and office ID, he insisted that they were on illegal duty since they did not have pass and police escort.

When he was told that journalists were free to move around on election day based on their job, he described them as illiterates.

But the journalists in return also told the CSP that he could also pass for a fake policeman, as he did not display his name tag.

Further, CSP also stated that anybody could claim to be a journalist.

CSP Isah noted that journalists should have stayed in a place to do their job instead of the usual practice of moving around to get information to do their reports.

This resulted in a heated argument and consequently attracted other journalists who were in the convoy.

The CSP threatened to arrest the Vanguard Correspondent, Ozioruva Aliu.

This brought further argument as all the journalists in the convoy opted to follow the overzealous CSP to Zone Five of the Nigerian Police on Adesuwa Road.

After realising that he would not be able to effect an arrest and was chasing a lost cause, the CSP and his team rushed into their patrol vehicle and drove off.

Metro

Sowore Arraigned Over Alleged Cybercrime

Published

3 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime offences.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate, faced a five-count charge accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu by calling him a criminal in posts on X and Facebook. The DSS claims that his actions violate the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as the Criminal Code Act.

At the hearing, Justice Mohammed Umar granted Sowore bail on self-recognition. However, the court imposed strict conditions, barring him from making any statements capable of inciting the public or undermining national security. The judge warned that any violation of these conditions would lead to immediate revocation of his bail.

Justice Umar noted that Sowore, who previously contested for the presidency, was already under bail conditions with his international passport held by the court. He said these factors justified granting him bail without a monetary surety.

The arraignment on Tuesday came after two earlier attempts were unsuccessful. DSS counsel, Akinolu Kehinde (SAN), attributed the delays to legal obstacles introduced by Sowore’s defence team.

Sowore pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, also filed a fresh bail application during the proceedings, which the court considered before ruling.

Two other defendants — X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Inc. — are listed in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025. The DSS claims that these companies aided Sowore in publishing the posts allegedly containing defamatory statements against the president.

The case is the latest in a series of legal battles involving Sowore, who has in the past faced arrests and charges over his activism and online publications.

The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, under which Sowore was charged, criminalises the online publication of false statements that can harm individuals or public institutions. The law also empowers the government to hold social media companies accountable if they facilitate the spread of such content.

Sowore’s arraignment has drawn reactions on social media, with supporters describing the charges as politically motivated, while others argue that public figures must exercise caution in their statements online.

Metro

Alleged Cybercrime: Court Grants Sowore Bail

Published

3 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court, on Tuesday, granted former presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, bail on self-recognition, cautioning him to refrain from making any utterances that could incite the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sowore’s bail followed his arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the court on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

In the five-count charge, Sowore is accused of allegedly making derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media handles.

Sowore, who is the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to him.

Earlier in the proceedings, his counsel, Marshall Abubakar, had raised a motion challenging the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction.

The prosecution objected, stating they had only just been served with the processes and needed time to respond.

In a short ruling, Justice Umar held that the objection on jurisdiction was not ready for hearing because the prosecution was served that morning, adding that the defendant needed to give them adequate time to file a counter-affidavit.

He then directed that the charges be read to the defendant.

When the charge was read, Sowore pleaded not guilty; his counsel applied for bail on self-recognition. The prosecution, however, opposed the application, arguing that Sowore posed a flight risk.

Justice Umar, in ruling on the bail request, granted Sowore bail on self-recognition and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for trial.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019, was accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal

The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

Metro

Delta: Suspected Kidnapper Killed In Gun Battle With Police

Published

9 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A suspected kidnapper has been killed during a gun battle with operatives of the Delta State Police Command in collaboration with Community Volunteers in Obiaruku Forest.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer,SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

“Operatives of the Command State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU), in collaboration with community volunteers, were on intensive patrol when they received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers were mobilising within the Obiaruku forest to carry out an attack.

“Acting swiftly on the information, the operatives advanced towards the location to forestall the planned criminal activity,” the statement said.

According to Edafe, on approaching the area, the suspects opened fire from multiple directions in a bid to repel the team.

“The operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to the death of one suspect, while others escaped into the forest with various degrees of injuries.

“One AK-47 rifle with forty-two rounds of live ammunition, nine mobile phones, and charms were recovered,” the statement added.