Amnesty International has condemned what it described as the harassment and sham trial of lawyer and activist, Chinedu Agu, who is facing charges of cyberstalking Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, over critical social media posts.
Agu was arraigned on Thursday, September 25, 2025, under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024. The Act vests jurisdiction in the Federal High Court, but in a move Amnesty International called “brazenly illegal,” the police arraigned him before a Magistrate Court in Owerri. The court, which lacked jurisdiction, nonetheless remanded him in prison custody until October 29, 2025, pending arraignment before the proper court.
The human rights group said Agu’s prosecution amounts to persecution for exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression, stressing that criticism of public officials cannot constitute a crime under international human rights law.
“Chinedu Agu should not have been arraigned in the first place. His arrest and sham arraignment are a clear abuse of power and an attempt to intimidate dissenting voices,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
The organisation demanded Agu’s immediate and unconditional release, urging Nigerian authorities to stop using law enforcement as a tool to silence critics.
