The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the remand of journalist Stanley Ugagbe on Tuesday. This is due to charges of conspiracy and cyberstalking.
ICIR reported that the judge issued the remand order after stating that Mr Ugagbe's bail application was not ready for hearing.
His lawyer, Pauline Olorunyomi, urgently requested the judge to consider the bail application filed earlier that day. But the police, representing the prosecution, said they needed more time to respond to the bail request and would not be available for a hearing next week.
The judge then adjourned the case until 21 September. The court's holiday starts on 27 July.
The court ordered Mr Ugagbe to be held at the Kuje correctional centre in Abuja until his bail hearing in September.
If the judge does not hear the bail application before the court's holiday, the defence team can present it to a designated vacation judge. This judge can make an independent decision on the bail.
On 3 July, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Ugagbe, who works for the online news site Secrets Reporters, was taken from his home in Jikwoyi, Abuja. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said his abduction was linked to a recent investigation by his platform.
On 6 July, the Nigeria Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) announced that he was released from police custody after the Institute intervened.
The police charged Mr Ugagbe with six counts of conspiracy and cyberstalking. He was charged along with Tega Oghenedoro, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Secrets Reporters, who is currently on the run.
They are accused of publishing false stories about the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Emem Usoro. One of the articles is titled, 'CBN Deputy Governor Emem Nana Usoro Hides N1.4 Billion California Luxury Condo in Asset Declaration Scandal.'
Another article is named, 'CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Linked to N3.6bn Los Angeles Property Amid Questions Over Asset Declaration Compliance.'
The third piece is titled, 'Adulterous Woman: How CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Turned Side Chic, Paraded Herself as Man’s Wife, Destroyed Couple’s Union.'
The police claim these publications defamed Ms Usoro.
On 6 July, the police issued a formal invitation letter to Mr Oghenedoro. In this letter, they said they were looking into a case of 'Espionage, Cyberstalking and Computer-related offences.'
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