Criminal defamation or criminal intimidation: Exposing the phantom charges against me

By Chinedu Agu

It is nary longer quality that connected Wednesday, 17 September 2025, I honoured the invitation by the X-Squad Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command, implicit allegations of “Criminal Defamation of the Governor of Imo State” and “conduct apt to origin a breach of the peace.”

This relationship is not intended to sensationalize the matter, but alternatively to laic bare definite uncomfortable truths which I americium prepared to basal by, arsenic they are rooted successful incontrovertible facts which show 3 wide points:

1. The persecution against maine was straight initiated by the Imo State Commissioner of Information.

2. The alleged “civil 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.

3. But for the courageousness and professionalism 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.

What follows should shed airy connected the rot, the decay, and the complicity that proceed to fester successful our Imo State.

At 12:47 p.m. connected 12 September 2025, my telephone rang. The caller introduced himself arsenic a constabulary serviceman and asked if I was Chinedu Agu. Without hesitation, helium informed maine that determination was a petition against maine for “criminal defamation of His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State.” He further requested maine to grant an invitation to look earlier the X-Squad Unit of the State Police Command connected Wednesday, 17 September 2025.

Curious, I asked astir the root of the petition. He replied that it came straight from the Imo State Ministry of Information and adjacent went connected to notation the sanction of the authoritative who signed it.

When I requested for a transcript of the petition helium responded I would person to “call Oga” for a copy. When I reached out, “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 (CTC).

After we yet settled connected a day for my brushwood with the X-Squad, the serviceman reluctantly sent an “Invitation Letter” to maine via WhatsApp. That letter, bare arsenic it was, stood arsenic a awesome of thing deeper—the rot and decay successful our system, wherever powerfulness is wielded not to support information and justice, but to intimidate voices that situation to talk both.

This refusal by the constabulary to furnish a national with a transcript of the petition forming the ground of his invitation raises sedate law and statutory issues. Under Section 36(6)(a) & (b) of the 1999 Constitution, each idiosyncratic facing transgression allegations has the close to beryllium informed “promptly and successful detail” of the quality of the offence, and to person capable facilities for the mentation of his defence. Denying entree to the petition until 1 applies for a CTC intelligibly violates this right.

The Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Imo State, 2020 (ACJL) reinforces this. Section 8 of the ACJL guarantees just hearing, portion Section 17 mandates humane attraction and respect for the dignity of suspects. Transparency astatine the investigative signifier is, therefore, not a substance of grace, but a law and ineligible obligation.

This practice, whereby the constabulary service an invitation missive yet withhold the petition that underpins it, fosters intimidation, secrecy, and maltreatment of power. It efficaciously disarms the national and turns what should beryllium a fact-finding process into a trap.

I digress.

On the agreed date, I arrived astatine the presumption accompanied by a squad of lawyers numbering astir 72. I was ushered successful unneurotic with Chief Chris Ihentuge, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, and Chief H.N. Duroha, Chairman of the Sports Committee of the branch. A constabulary officer, who introduced himself arsenic the “2/IC”, labour...