The arrest and three-day detention of Media Room Hub publisher, Azuka Ogujiuba, on August 8, 2025, has sparked outrage among journalists, human rights advocates, and press freedom groups, reigniting concerns over police abuse of power and the shrinking space for free expression in Nigeria.
Ogujiuba, a veteran journalist and former ThisDay reporter, said she was invited by officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at the Asokoro Division in Abuja on August 6. She honoured the invitation, arriving with her lawyer, but was later tracked for days, arrested without a warrant, and “whisked away like a criminal,” before being unlawfully detained for three days.
According to Ogujiuba, the invitation came from the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Yet, she alleges she was held and maltreated by officers identified as Moses Jolugbo, head of the Asokoro Division, along with Ifeoma Ogoli and Josephine Omotere.
Police sources claimed her arrest followed a petition by businessman Adewale Oladapo, popularly known as “Biggie,” accusing her of cyberbullying and defamation. Ogujiuba, however, insists her ordeal stemmed from Media Room Hub’s publication of a Lagos High Court injunction in an ongoing multi-billion-naira land dispute—a ruling unfavourable to Oladapo.
Dispute at the Heart of the Controversy
The disputed case involves real estate developer Dr. Kennedy Okonkwo, through his company Capital Gardens Limited, which sued Oladapo’s Oretol Nigeria Limited over an alleged breach of contract regarding land at Hampton Island, Osapa, Lekki.
The Lagos High Court issued an injunction restraining Oladapo and his firm from interfering with roughly four hectares of the property pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Although the injunction was widely reported across Nigerian media, Ogujiuba claims she was singled out for reprisals.
Capital Gardens and Okonkwo had earlier petitioned the IGP through their lawyers over alleged fraudulent land transactions by Oladapo and Oretol Nigeria Limited. The petition—referred to the Lagos State Police Command’s X-Squad—cited fraudulent conversion of property, obtaining by false pretense, and multiple fraudulent alienations.
The disputed assets reportedly include four hectares of land at Hampton Island Estate, 1.5 hectares at Hampton Harbour, 8,000 square metres at Hampton Bay, and 1,000 square metres at Banana Island, for which Oladapo allegedly received payments of approximately ₦3.5 billion, ₦1.8 billion, ₦800 million, and ₦783 million, respectively. Despite repeated police invitations, Oladapo allegedly failed to appear, claiming to be overseas while being sighted at social events in Abuja.
Okonkwo—known for his leadership in Nigeria’s real estate sector and for youth empowerment initiatives—has maintained that the petitions and court actions were necessary to protect investors from fraudulent dealings.
“I Was Treated Like a Criminal”
Ogujiuba maintains she was punished simply for reporting a valid court ruling.
“Adewale used Moses and Ifeoma to harass me,” she said. “They maltreated me and released my address to Adewale’s lawyers, Muiz Banire Chambers. If anything happens to me or my family, the public should hold Moses Jolugbo, Ifeoma Ogoli, Josephine Omotere, and Adewale Oladapo responsible.”
She further alleges she was forced to sign an apology letter during detention—later circulated online to discredit her publication—and to sign an undertaking, under duress, stating the apology was voluntary.
Ogujiuba said the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was unaware of her ordeal and stressed that the officers acted beyond their powers. The IGP has previously warned officers against meddling in civil and commercial disputes, deepening questions about the legality of her detention.
Growing Calls for Accountability
Human rights advocates have rallied to her defence. Rights representative Kehinde argued that compliance with a valid court order “cannot, under any circumstance, amount to cyberbullying,” and demanded accountability for the officers involved.
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria and other watchdogs have condemned the incident, warning that such harassment undermines press freedom and erodes public trust in law enforcement.
As the Hampton Island land dispute continues in court, Ogujiuba’s experience has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over the misuse of state power, the safety of journalists, and the urgent need for police and judicial reforms in Nigeria.
