Nigeria: Blogger arrested for 'defaming' Governor, spends 100 days in detention
By AllAfrica
Published
2 min read
Mr Adewale has been in police custody since 13 May.
A blogger, Bashiru Adewale, who was allegedly detained on the orders of the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has counted 100 days behind bars.
Mr Adewale has been in police custody since 13 May.
He allegedly republished a story titled 'I Was Arrested for Fraud in the US, But APC Cannot Disqualify Me: Dapo Abiodun.'
The story was originally published by Peoples Gazette on 27 April.
The State Security Service (SSS) arrested Mr Adewale on the accusation of defamation of character and cybercrime and transferred him to the police who took him to court.
The Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, however, granted him bail on 27th May, on terms which include the sum of N3 million with two sureties in the sum of N1 million.
His other bail conditions include "One of the sureties shall be a civil servant on GL 15 with the Federal, state, or local government within Abeokuta Metropolis, while the other shall be the owner of an established business within the jurisdiction and both shall be owners of properties within the Abeokuta metropolis.
"The sureties shall deposit title documents with the Registrar of this court during the pendency of this trial.
"The sureties and the defendant himself shall have their homes, office/business addresses their banking details, both personal and business, and all their telephone numbers verified by the Registrar of this Honorable court.
"The surety (businessman) shall deposit his Corporate Affairs Commission Business Registration Certificate while the Civil Servant shall deposit his/her international passport with the registrar of this court to be held during the pendency of this trial."
Stuck in prison
Mr Adewale's former lawyer, Festus Ogun, told PREMIUM TIMES that he is still in detention because he could not meet the stringent bail conditions.
Mr Ogun said he had recused himself from the case "on principle."
The lawyer lamented that none of the accused person's family members has come for him since he was arrested.
Social media campaign
In the wake of Mr Adewale's continued incarceration, social media users have launched a #FreeLabashNow campaign calling for his release.
On Twitter, Xander Obi said, " The Nigerian government despises, hates and treats her own journalists with so much disrespect. So said"
It is now 100 days since Gov Dapo Abiodun, the 'eleyi' of Ogun State, started keeping blogger Hammed 'Labash' Olamilekan in prison for republishing a newspaper article about the gov on his blog. This is despite coercing Lekan into deleting the publication.#FreeLabashNow pic.twitter.com/7V9YolzUZY
— 'Fisayo Soyombo (@fisayosoyombo) August 20, 2022
