The Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State, has adjourned the hearing on the bail application of lawyer and former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, Chinedu Agu, who has remained in detention since September 23, 2025.
The court postponed its ruling to October 14, 2025, citing that the decision was not ready. Agu, currently held at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) facility in Owerri, had earlier sought bail after a previous order affected only the police but left the custodial authorities untouched.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the court directed Agu’s legal team to file a written address on the competence of the bail application, given that no formal charge is pending against him. The judge noted that the opposing side would be allowed to respond before a final ruling date is fixed. Agu has now spent 18 days in detention.
Agu’s case arises from alleged offences under the Cybercrime Act, including criminal defamation, incitement, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. The charges are tied to social media posts in which he criticized the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma and the operations of the state police. Agu has pleaded not guilty, maintaining that his detention violates his constitutional rights.
The court’s handling of the bail process has sparked outrage within the legal community and among human rights defenders.
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, described the court’s conduct as “beyond and beneath disgraceful,” arguing that any independent court should have granted bail without hesitation on a clearly bailable offence.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jibrin Okutepa also condemned the judiciary’s role, saying the continued detention of Chinedu Agu was “unlawful and unconstitutional.” He urged the Nigerian Bar Association and other concerned citizens to take immediate action against what he called a “constitutional sacrilege.”
