Amnesty International Nigeria has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu, who was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja for 21 days over charges bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation.

The organisation condemned the journalist’s continued detention, warning that his prosecution could undermine press freedom and create an atmosphere of fear among journalists investigating corruption and alleged abuses of power.

Amnesty International Nigeria made the demand in a statement published on its official X account on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, following a Federal High Court order remanding Ojukwu in custody until December 1, when his bail application is scheduled to be heard.

Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was remanded on Tuesday by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja after pleading not guilty to a 12-count charge involving alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation.

The charges are connected to investigative reports published by FIJ between 2023 and January 2024 concerning alleged irregularities in public expenditure by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).

The reports questioned payments of ₦147.1 million and ₦47.5 million for classroom construction and other projects, as well as the reported failure of solar panels installed at some project locations shortly after their completion.

Amnesty International expressed concern that Ojukwu’s detention could represent an attempt to use judicial processes to intimidate journalists and restrict freedom of expression.

The organisation warned that keeping the journalist in custody for another 21 days could discourage media professionals from investigating corruption and holding public officials accountable.

It also recalled that Ojukwu was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in May 2024 in connection with his investigative reports. He was released on May 10, 2024, after 10 days in detention following public outcry.

Amnesty International further called on Nigerian authorities to ensure that any legal proceedings against Ojukwu comply with international human rights standards, particularly the right to a fair trial and guarantees of due process.

The organisation also urged the government to end what it described as the harassment, intimidation and targeting of investigative journalist and FIJ founder, Fisayo Soyombo.

It maintained that journalists should be able to investigate and expose allegations of corruption, abuse of power and human rights violations without threats, intimidation or punitive measures.

The latest development has also attracted condemnation from other rights organisations, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which called for Ojukwu’s immediate release and urged the Federal Government to end the use of criminal defamation and cyberstalking charges against journalists performing their professional duties.

The case has renewed concerns about the implications of criminal prosecutions for investigative journalism and the protection of press freedom in Nigeria.