Court gives police 48 hours to justify journalist Fejiro Oliver’s detention over criticism of Gov Oborevwori

Mr Oborevwori had, in a petition to the police, accused the journalist of persistently publishing negative commentaries against him.

Abiodun Sanusi • October 3, 2025

Fejiro Oliver and Gov Sheriff

The Delta Division of the Federal High Court has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to, within 48 hours, explain why the state-born journalist, Tega Oghenedoro, widely known as Fejiro Oliver, should not be released after spending 16 days in unlawful detention.

Justice F. A. Olubanjo issued the ultimatum on Thursday following an ex parte application filed by the journalist’s counsel, Inibehe Effiong, who described his client’s prolonged detention as a brazen assault on press freedom.

Peoples Gazette had earlier reported how Oliver, the publisher of Secret Reporters, was seized from his Abuja office on September 18 and immediately flown to Delta State aboard a private jet linked to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. He was then handed over to operatives at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Asaba, where he has been held without trial.

Mr Oborevwori, in a petition to the police, accused the journalist of persistently publishing negative commentaries against him, including a social media post where he derisively described the governor as “Sheriff Amuneke of Delta State.”

The governor is not alone in the onslaught against the journalist. Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents Delta Central, and Stella Okotete, executive director at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank and a disgraced ministerial nominee rejected by the Senate in 2023, also submitted petitions accusing Mr Oliver of cyberstalking.

Despite the barrage of petitions, Mr Oliver has yet to be charged to court. His lawyer, Mr Effiong, who appeared alongside Austin Nyekigbe, secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Udu branch, told the court that the police had denied the journalist access to his lawyers and family members throughout his incarceration.

After hearing the submissions, Justice Olubanjo directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police at the State CID, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, the Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Nigeria Police Force as a whole to justify within 48 hours why Mr Oliver should not be released unconditionally.

Court filings seen by The Gazette showed that the matter is registered as Suit No: FHC/ASB/CS/164/2025. The substantive hearing has been fixed for October 9, 2025.

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