Activist Agu accuses Imo govt of instigating his arrest with phantom petition

Activist and lawyer, Chinedu Agu, has accused the Imo State Government of instigating his caller apprehension connected what helium described arsenic “phantom charges” supported by a fictitious petition.

Agu, a erstwhile caput of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri branch, was precocious granted bail by the Federal High Court successful Owerri aft being arraigned connected charges of transgression defamation, incitement, and behaviour apt to origin a breach of the peace. He pleaded not guilty.

In a elaborate connection titled “Criminal Defamation oregon Criminal Intimidation: Exposing Phantom Charges Against Me”, Agu alleged that the enactment against him was politically motivated. “The persecution against maine was straight initiated by the Imo State Commissioner of Information,” helium claimed.

He further argued that the petition cited by constabulary was fraudulent. “The alleged civilian nine organisation presented arsenic the originator of the petition against maine – Imo Democratic Alliance, allegedly coordinated by 1 Umukoro Marvis Udechukwu – does not beryllium successful Nigeria. It is not registered and has nary traceable bureau code anyplace successful the country,” Agu said.

Narrating however helium was invited by the police, Agu recounted: “At 12:47 p.m. connected 12 September 2025, my telephone rang. The caller introduced himself arsenic a constabulary serviceman and informed maine that determination was a petition against maine for ‘criminal defamation of His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State’.”

According to him, the serviceman initially confirmed the petition came straight from the Ministry of Information but aboriginal told him to “call Oga” if helium wanted a copy. “Oga categorically told maine I could not beryllium fixed a transcript of the petition but I applied formally to the Commissioner of Police for a Certified True Copy,” Agu recalled.

He criticised the constabulary for withholding the document, insisting that specified denial violates law rights. “This refusal by the constabulary to furnish a national with a transcript of the petition raises sedate law and statutory issues. Denying entree intelligibly violates my close nether Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution,” helium argued.

When yet allowed to spot the petition, Agu described it arsenic “a farce: a hastily contrived letterhead, garishly designed, with nary bureau oregon instrumentality address.” He said it misrepresented 2 of his articles—“Tears From Enugu: A Lawyer’s Heartbreaking Diary” and “Imo State – Where Justice Is On Vacation During Court Vacation”—and accused him of attempting to provoke insurrection.

“Everything I wrote successful my 2 pieces is factual and information is simply a implicit defence to defamation,” helium maintained. “The fictitious organisation did not allege defamation of itself, nor did Umukoro Marvis Udechukwu allege defamation of his ain person.”

Agu besides said helium discovered done a Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) hunt that the radical did not exist. “Imo Democratic Alliance is legally non-existent. To usage specified a phantom entity arsenic root for a instrumentality enforcement process is itself criminal,” helium alleged.

He credited his impermanent merchandise to the solidarity of colleagues. “But for the courageousness of Magistrates successful Imo State and the overwhelming solidarity of lawyers, civilian nine organisations, and friends, I would person been languishing successful detention overmuch earlier,” helium said, noting that 72 lawyers accompanied him to the constabulary station.

Concluding, Agu declared: “I invited genuine ineligible process. I americium not acrophobic of lawful process but I already fishy that is not what this is about.”

The station Activist Agu accuses Imo govt of instigating his apprehension with phantom petition appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.