Journalist Fejiro Oliver has been detained since his arrest in Abuja on September 19, 2025, and human rights activists in Delta State have given the police a seven-hour ultimatum to release him immediately.
Oliver is being held on suspicion of cybercrime after being taken into custody in Abuja and transported to Asaba by Force Intelligence Department (FID) agents.
Before the seven hours had passed, they stipulated three requirements that had to be fulfilled: either he be released unconditionally, released right away, or he be arraigned in court to face the charges the police allege they have against him.
At a press conference in Asaba on Wednesday, the three warned that “failure to act will force them to pursue other legal and civil avenues to secure his freedom.” They were Barr. Omes Ogedegbe, Director, General Confab for the Actualization of Human Rights; Comrade Dr. Akima Umukoro, President, UPU Youth Wing Worldwide; and Comr. Daniel Etaga, former President, Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC).
They claimed that in addition to being illegal, his ongoing detention is a glaring example of how the police are increasingly being used to further the personal agendas of influential people.
They voiced their alarm over the unsettling trend of numerous petitions being submitted against Fejiro Oliver, which they see as a part of a concerted effort to stifle his journalism and activism.
The police officers who were tasked with looking into these petitions now seem to be acting as complainants themselves, which they say is the most concerning.
The police are allegedly confronting Fejiro with his old Facebook posts, which aren’t even connected to any official petition, instead of serving as impartial investigators. This indicates a concerning pattern. Police officers are allegedly looking for reasons to justify his arrest after the fact rather than looking into actual complaints.
Barr. Ogedegbe claims that the police’s actions seriously breach both the law and the constitution.
In any investigation, law enforcement organizations are supposed to serve as unbiased umpires. However, it appears that in this instance, the police have forsaken due process and are siding with one side, turning into tools of personal retaliation.
However, despite these efforts to weaken his resolve, Fejiro Oliver is still in a positive frame of mind. His supporters think that the fact that the law is on his side and that public sentiment is slowly shifting against the police’s oppressive methods is what gives him strength.
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