Imo Lawyer Faces Cyberstalking, Defamation Charges Over Criticism of Uzodimma’s Administration

The Imo State Police Command has charged Owerri-based lawyer, Chinedu Agu, with cyberstalking, defamation, incitement, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, following a series of opinion articles he published criticising Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.

Agu was scheduled to be arraigned before a magistrates’ court in Owerri on Wednesday, but proceedings were stalled as all chief magistrates were away on official assignment.

Police spokesperson DSP Henry Okoye confirmed that the charges stem from petitions alleging that Agu’s writings were inciting and defamatory. He stressed that the arraignment would follow due process and respect Agu’s fundamental rights.

The lawyer was arrested on Tuesday after honouring a police invitation, following a petition filed by the Imo Democratic Alliance, signed by Umukoro Marvis Udochukwu. Agu, however, insists the group is fictitious, claiming it has no legal registration or verifiable office, and alleging it was sponsored by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba.

Several senior lawyers, including the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Owerri and the Eastern Bar Forum, were present at the court in solidarity with Agu, but the absence of magistrates forced police to return him to custody pending arraignment today (Thursday).

Agu has drawn public attention in recent weeks with two widely circulated articles titled “Tears from Enugu: A Lawyer’s Heartbreaking Diary from a State that Works to a State in Ruins” and “Imo State — Where Justice Is on Vacation During Court Vacation.” Emelumba later issued a rebuttal describing Agu’s writings as “satanic verses against Imo State.”