The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has expressed anger after an Owerri Chief Magistrate, Obinna Njemanze, on Thursday ordered the remand of a lawyer, Chinedu Agu, at the Owerri Correctional Centre.
Agu's arraignment followed charges of cyberstalking, criminal defamation and incitement over opinion articles criticising Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.
Agu is a vocal critic of Uzodimma’s government and was arrested on Tuesday after honouring a police invitation.
His arrest followed a petition by the Imo Democratic Alliance, signed by Umukoro Marvis Udochukwu.
Agu is being accused of having made a social media post in which he allegedly described Imo State as “tyranny trapped in sinking bureaucracy".
He was also alleged to have written that “Enugu is working while Imo is rotting," and accused the Police’s Tiger Base unit of “unchecked, barbaric, brutish” human rights abuses.
Prosecutors said the statements were false, defamatory and capable of inciting unrest, in violation of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Agu pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.
Senior lawyers, including the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Owerri branch, Chris Ihentuge, and Chairman of the Eastern Bar Forum, Damian Nosike, attended the hearing.
A bail application by Agu's legal team was denied.
However, Magistrate Njemanze said he lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and directed that Agu remain in custody pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
The case was adjourned to October 29, 2025.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association condemned the charges, describing them as an attempt to silence dissent.
In a statement signed by its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association said criticism of government policies is protected under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and warned against criminalising free speech.
NBA pledged to stand by Agu and monitor the case.
Reacting also, a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, hailed the NBA for showing up at the Magistrates court.
In a post on his X handle, Odinkalu wrote: "While we're still on the case of @ChineduAgu87, I want to give a shout out to the lawyers of Owerri Branch of @NigBarAssoc who showed up at the Magistrates Crt, @FederalHigh & at the Owerri @CorrectionsNg throughout today, under the leadership of Stanley Imo, SAN & M.O Nlemadim.
"Most of them have left everything today in defence of right & are only just beginning to head home this late. 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."
