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By Charles Ogbu
The prolonged detention of Chinedu Agu, a human rights lawyer and former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri Branch, further speaks to how far the Nigerian judiciary is willing to go in its dishonorable role of serving as kept-men ever at the service of the Executive arm in exchange for intestinal considerations even at the expense of their sacred duty as the guardian of the Justice System.
Barr. Agu was arrested on September 23, 2025, by the Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command following a petition by the govt of Imo state over Agu’s Facebook post criticizing governor Hope Uzodimma ‘s administration and the state special police unit known as “Tiger Base” widely associated with human rights abuses.
The lawyer was first arraigned in Owerri before Chief Magistrate Obinna Njemanze who, despite acknowledging lack of jurisdiction over the federal cybercrime charges, went ahead to remand Agu in Owerri Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to October 29, 2025, (over a whole month) for the file to be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (a common tactic regularly used by the police in conjuction with crooked magistrates to keep many innocent Nigerians in jail, at the behest of politicians, of course)
Agu’s legal team filed a fundamental rights application before a Federal High Court in Owerri which was granted but along came a new twist borne of technicality. The correctional service refused to release Agu on the ground that the court pronoucement was directed at the police which initially arrested and detained the lawyer and not the Correctional center currently holding him.
A new bail application was filed by Agu’s legal team to address the correctional service directly. Hearings were adjourned multiple times. Today, October 16, 2025, the Owerri Federal High Court Judge threw out Agu’s bail application on the grounds that no formal charge has been filed against the human rights lawyer in any court. Please note that the bail application was not opposed by the prosecuting team. In the ‘wisdom’ of the Judge, Agu cannot be granted bail because no formal charges have been filed against him.
And so, the ex secretary of the NBA, Owerri branch remains detained over a mere criticism of governor Hope Uzodimma who is nothing but an employee of the same man. All for an offense that is clearly bailable.
This is exactly how the compromised judiciary in Enugu have kept barr. Bright Emeka Ngene behind bars for over 2 years by deliberately refusing to rule on his appeal. The first judge recused himself from the matter. The second judge sat on the case, heard all the arguments from both parties and even set a date for ruling only to recuse himself on that very date he himself set to deliver his ruling. Another judge recently recused himself yet again from the case. These are supposed “honorable” judges, men and women people address as “my lord”…… but here they are, playing Russian roulette with a fellow man’s freedom which ought not to be denied him except when it is legally justified.
The most important fight facing not just the Afam Osigwe led Nigerian Bar Association but the entire Nigerian masses, is the fight to save the Nigerian Judiciary from itself. This fight is of existential importance to every Nigeria. A society without an INDEPENDENT judiciary is a society destined for Golgotha.
I am not a lawyer but I am smart enough to know that if a lawyer who is a co-worker in the same temple of justice where these judges work, can be treated BENEATH the law, there is really no hope for justice for an ordinary citizen like myself. So make no mistake, this is not about Chinedu Agu or Bright Ngene. This is about you and I, ordinary Nigerians.
