Journalist Held Over a Month Without Trial in Nigeria Media Freedom Under Threat

November 10, 2025 – Nigeria – 

Publisher Friday Alefia of the online news portal Naija News Today has been detained for more than six weeks without trial by the Nigeria Police Force, before being scheduled for a court appearance amid mounting concerns over press freedom in Nigeria. He was arrested in Lagos on 23 September after officers traced a caretaker’s phone to his residence in Ikorodu.

A five-count charge sheet dated 8 October accuses Alefia and his company of publishing false reports about lawmaker Chinedu Ogah through social-media platforms, including Facebook, in alleged violation of Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act. Family members and legal advocates say the journalist’s health deteriorated during his detention, prompting hospital visits paid for by his family. They argue the arrest and prolonged detention stem from the outlet’s critical reporting of the lawmaker.

Under Nigeria’s Constitution, journalists must either be charged or released within 24 to 48 hours of arrest, but Alefia remained in custody for more than a month without arraignment. Legal analysts describe the detainment as “completely illegal” and say it reflects a pattern of abuse linked to the cybercrime law being used to silence critical reporting.

Press-freedom groups warn that this case illustrates a growing threat to journalism in Nigeria, particularly when laws originally designed to protect against online crime are repurposed to penalise investigative journalists and critics of political figures. The prospect of formal charges justified on the basis of using a computer system to publish critical content raises significant concerns about freedom of expression and the role of media in democratic oversight.

As Alefia stands to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja, civil society advocates are calling for his immediate release and for the charges against him to be dropped. They stress that his case should serve as a prompt for broader legal reform to safeguard press freedom and prevent the misuse of security laws against journalists.

Reference –

Police to arraign Nigerian journalist detained without trial for six weeks

Police to arraign journalist detained without trial for six weeks