- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian blogger, Chizorom Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele Speaks, has suffered from permanent kidney damage while the detention over cybercrime charges filed against him by Zion Ministry founder, Prophet Ebuka Obi.
This was disclosed in a post on X on Friday by human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore.
According Sowore, the blogger suffered the health implication on account of his unjust year-long detention.
Ijele was reportedly arrested in March 2024 after he accused Obi of performing fake miracles.
He was, at first remanded at Keffi Correctional Centre, Nasarawa State, before the Police filed a three-count charge against him at the Federal High in Lagos.
While he was granted N50 million bail in June 2024, Zion Ministry had since denied the involvement of its General Overseer in the detention of the blogger.
Sowore, in his post, however, accused Obi and the Nigerian Police Force of unlawfully detaining Ijele which resulted to his kidney damage.
He also alleged that the Zion Ministry founder had initiated the warrant for the transfer of Ijele’s trial to Anambra State.
The warrant, according to Sowore, had been nullified by the Ministry of Justice and the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
“We are pleased to report that, following a year-long struggle to prevent the “extra-ordinary rendition” of blogger Chizorom Ofoegbu @IjeleSpeaks2 to potential harm in Awka, Anambra state, the Ministry of Justice and office of the Chief Judge of Nigeria have agreed to consolidate his cases for trial in Lagos.
“As a result, the “production warrant” obtained to transfer him to Awka for trial on cybercrime charges has been nullified.
“Chizorom Ofoegbu @ijelespeaks will now be arraigned in Lagos once his case is assigned to a new judge.
“Nevertheless, we continue to strongly condemn the actions of the Nigerian Police @PoliceNG and Prophet Ebuka Obi of Zion Ministry, who both colluded to violate Chizorom Ofoegbu’s fundamental rights, resulting in an unjust year-long detention and permanent kidney damage.
“The Ministry of Justice must discontinue these frivolous charges against Chizorom Ofoegbu and other Nigerian citizens that have been targeted and violated through the application of the Cybercrime Act immediately.” Sowore wrote.