The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) wishes to draw the attention of the public and the Nigerian judiciary to the disturbing developments surrounding the continued persecution and unlawful detention of Fejiro Oliver, a journalist and activist currently facing legal harassment at the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State.
It will be recalled that on October 16, 2025, the Federal High Court in Asaba granted bail to Mr. Fejiro Oliver. However, while his legal team was perfecting the bail conditions, the Delta State Governor obtained a reproduction warrant to reproduce Mr. Oliver before Magistrate Court 3, Asaba. This is reportedly scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, with the apparent intent of filing new or duplicate charges against him.
We view this as a coordinated effort to undermine the authority of the Federal High Court and to use the state judiciary as a tool for political persecution which WILL NOT STAND.
NACAT will not sit idly by while politicians and political actors manipulate the courts for sordid purposes simply because we petitioned former Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa before the EFCC that led to his arrest. We are alerting the Nigerian judiciary to how these actors are attempting to exploit judicial loopholes and delay tactics to achieve sinister ends. This recent development further lends credence to credible reports that some persons may be plotting assassination against Fejiro Oliver under the guise of judicial processes.
The Magistrate of Court 3, Asaba, should not allow herself to be used in this political game aimed at furthering the Governor’s alleged 2027 political ambition. NACAT will petition the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and foreign embassies for visa sanctions against any judicial officer found complicit in this abuse.
The initiation of multiple proceedings over the same matter constitutes a clear abuse of court process and a violation of judicial integrity. It amounts to forum shopping and stands against the established principles of superior courts, which strongly condemn the filing of parallel or duplicate charges intended to circumvent judicial orders.
By seeking to reopen the matter in a Magistrate Court after the Federal High Court has already exercised jurisdiction, the actors in this case risk bringing the judiciary into disrepute and eroding public confidence in the courts.
NACAT maintains that no amount of judicial intimidation or attempts to compromise any magistrate will succeed. The plan to file defamation-related charges using the petitions of Stella Okotete and Mr. Joel Thomas Onowakpor before the Magistrate Court is already dead on arrival. If they believe in their case, they should appear before the Federal High Court rather than engage in judicial window shopping.
ON THE ATTEMPTED USE OF “HOLDEN CHARGE”
What is being planned against Fejiro Oliver is nothing short of a Holden Charge — a notorious and unconstitutional tactic where the accused is taken before a Magistrate Court on an offence that the Magistrate lacks jurisdiction to entertain.
The end result of such a scheme is that the accused is remanded in prison indefinitely, while the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) or the Attorney General purportedly “takes over” the case file.
This is nothing but judicial ambush and illegality that can burn the state if the patience of the youths which Fejiro Oliver represents is pushed to the wall.
If the Delta State Government of which Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is the principal actor—has any genuine case, the proper course of action is simple:
Amend the existing charges before the Federal High Court, not file parallel cases in multiple courts.
Filing before two different courts over the same subject matter is a gross abuse of judicial process and a violation of the rule of law.
CALL TO THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL (NJC)
We call on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to immediately:
Call to order the Delta State Attorney General and the Magistrate allegedly procured to preside over this frivolous and politically motivated case.
Warn the said Magistrate that any attempt to conspire with the Governor or to aid this abuse of court process will result in:
A formal petition to the NJC,
A petition to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for disciplinary action, and Petitions to foreign embassies seeking visa bans and international bodies blacklisting her as a complicit legal practitioner.
Let it be clear: once the Federal High Court bail conditions are perfected, Fejiro Oliver MUST be released immediately, as no lower court has the authority to override or delay a subsisting bail order.
Our Demands
Accordingly, NACAT calls on the following institutions to act urgently:
1. Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN):
Direct the Chief Judge of Delta State to ensure that no Magistrate Court under his authority is used to subvert or undermine the decisions of a superior court.
2. National Judicial Council (NJC):
Review all charges and warrants relating to Mr. Fejiro Oliver to detect and sanction any abuse of process.
3. Nigerian Bar Association (NBA):
Defend the ethics and independence of the judiciary and take disciplinary action against any judicial officer who allows him or herself to be used for political manipulation.
4. The Nigerian Judiciary at Large:
Uphold due process, fairness, and decorum in the handling of Fejiro Oliver’s case, and reaffirm commitment to judicial independence.
Conclusion:
NACAT will be submitting formal petitions to the NJC, NBA, and foreign embassies against the Delta State Attorney General, any Magistrate or official involved in this judicial charade.
Enough is enough. The judiciary must not be a marketplace for political gamesmanship.
Justice must not only be done — it must be seen to be done.
Signed:
Stanley Ugagbe,
Operations Manager
