The Federal High Court in Owerri has granted bail to lawyer Chinedu Agu following an urgent application filed by his legal team, led by Stanley Imo SAN. The court’s order, which is awaiting execution, will facilitate Agu’s production and release, allowing him temporary freedom while the legal proceedings continue.
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The development comes after Agu, the former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, was arraigned at a Magistrate’s Court in Owerri on charges of criminal defamation, incitement, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. The charges stemmed from Facebook posts in which he allegedly described the Imo State government under Governor Hope Uzodinma as “tyranny trapped in sinking bureaucracy,” compared Imo unfavorably to Enugu, and accused the police “Tiger Base Unit” of “unchecked, barbaric, brutish, savagery and callous human rights abuse.”
The arraignment, presided over by Chief Magistrate Obinna Njemanze, who also serves as Deputy Chief Registrar of the High Court of Imo State, saw Agu plead not guilty. The police prosecution team, led by Mr. F. O. Itua of the Imo State Police Command, immediately applied for his remand in prison. Following arguments in court, the magistrate ordered Agu’s remand while citing a lack of jurisdiction over the charges and adjourned the matter to October 29.
Represented by a formidable legal team of over 30 lawyers led by former Imo State Attorney-General Miletus Onukoagu Nlemadim, Agu’s lawyers swiftly approached the Federal High Court. The court, under urgent consideration, granted the bail application, ending over 4 days of detention linked to allegations the legal team described as politically motivated.
The case has sparked significant reactions from the legal community and civil society. The NBA condemned the earlier police action as an abuse of power aimed at intimidating critics, while the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) emphasized that defamation, even if proven, remains a civil matter and should not warrant criminal prosecution.
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