Secrets Reporters
The Nigeria Police Force has filed a six-count criminal charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against SecretsReporters investigative journalist Stanley Ugagbe and his publisher, Fejiro Oliver, who they referred to as Oghenetega Oghenedoro, over a series of publications concerning the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in charge of operations, Emem Usoro.
According to the charge sheet dated July 4, 2026, the Inspector-General of Police is the complainant, while Stanley Ugagbe and Fejiro Oliver are listed as the first and second defendants, respectively. The second defendant is identified in the court process as being “at large.”
In the first count, the prosecution alleged that both defendants conspired to commit cyberstalking, contrary to Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, an offence punishable under Section 24(1)(b) of the same Act.
The second count accused Ugagbe of publishing a report on SecretReporters.com titled, “CBN Deputy Governor Emem Nana Usoro hides N1.4 Billion California Luxury Condo in Asset Declaration Scandal.” The prosecution alleged that the publication was false and intended to cause a breakdown of law and order, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act.
In the third count, the police alleged that Ugagbe published another report titled, “CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro linked to N3.6 BN Los Angeles Property amidst questions over Asset Declaration Compliance,” which the prosecution claimed was knowingly false and intended to bully, threaten or harass the CBN Deputy Governor. The charge was brought under Section 24(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act and is stated to be punishable under Section 24(2)(c)(i) of the Act.
The fourth count relates to a publication titled “Adulterous Woman: How CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro turned side chic, paraded herself as man’s wife, destroyed couple’s union.” Prosecutors alleged that the publication was knowingly false and intended to damage the reputation of the CBN Deputy Governor, contrary to Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes Act and punishable under Section 24(2)(c)(ii).
In the fifth count, the police also charged Ugagbe under Sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code Act, alleging that the same publication concerning the CBN Deputy Governor’s personal life amounted to defamation likely to harm her reputation.
The sixth count concerns the publication regarding the alleged Los Angeles property linked to the CBN Deputy Governor. Prosecutors alleged that the publication constituted defamation contrary to Section 393 of the Penal Code Act because it was made knowing, or having reason to believe, that it would harm the reputation of Emem Usoro.
The charge was filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, and is signed by Anthony A. Egwu, Kufreabasi Ebong, Aminu Abubakar, and Victor I. Okoye, all of the Directorate of Legal Services at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The court document bears a Federal High Court official filing stamp dated July 7, 2026.
Recall that Ugagbe’s ordeal began on July 1, 2026, when armed men reportedly abducted him on his way home from work. The operatives confiscated his mobile phones and laptop before taking him away in an unmarked vehicle. For several days, neither his family nor his employer knew his whereabouts.
His disappearance sparked widespread condemnation from media organizations, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which demanded that security agencies disclose his whereabouts, grant him access to his family and legal representatives, and either charge him before a competent court or release him.
International organizations also reacted. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Nigerian authorities to investigate his disappearance and ensure his immediate safety, while the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) intervened in efforts that eventually led to his release from police custody.
Following his release on July 6, Ugagbe was granted bail while police reportedly continued investigating allegations, including espionage, cyberstalking, and other computer-related offenses.
In his reaction, Fejiro Oliver wondered why the police should state that he’s “at large”, when they know he’s not resident in the country, a statement he described as “malicious and judicially irresponsible from the police. The police knows the court is going on vacation soon and hurriedly packaged this on Emem’s order so they can get remand order.”
Meanwhile, David Umahi, Nigeria’s Works Minister is still walking free despite a public outcry over the death of Mary Habila in his house after she visited him for days with her friend in Ebonyi State from Kaduna, a Northern part of Nigeria