BREAKING: Court Grants Bail To Social Media Influencer 'Ijele Speaks', Judge Set To Sign Release Warrant

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has again granted bail to social media influencer, Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele Speaks II, in Charge No: FHC/L/321/2024, between Inspector General of Police v. Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu.

SaharaReporters learnt that the court granted him bail on Thursday on the same conditions given at the last bail and the judge is set to sign his release warrant. 

SaharaReporters had reported that the Federal High Court judge in Lagos, Justice Daniel Osiagor, urged the legal team of Ijele Speaks II, to apply for his release from prison custody after federal prosecutors failed to appear in court for his arraignment.

SaharaReporters had also reported on Friday that Justice Osiagor expressed concerns over the continued detention of Ofoegbu, who has been held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for over a year despite meeting his initial bail conditions.

The judge stated that he could not decide on the bail application in the absence of the prosecution.

However, the judge urged the defence lawyer to write to the Ikoyi Prison authorities requesting Mr. Ofoegbu's release, as no court order has been issued to sustain his detention.

A Lagos-based lawyer also filed a formal petition to the Comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Lagos Command, demanding the immediate release of Ijele Speaks II, who has been held in custody since 2024.

According to the petition addressed to the Lagos Command headquarters in Alagbon, Ofoegbu has remained in detention despite reportedly meeting all court-imposed bail conditions several months ago.

Chukwuka’s legal counsel, Yakubu Galadima Esq., requested the immediate release of the defendant from custody at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, Lagos State, where he has been held since March 2024.

Yakubu explained that on June 14, 2024, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and presided over by Hon. Justice A. Aluko granted the defendant bail in Charge No: FHC/L/321/2024, between Inspector General of Police v. Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu.

He noted that the same court subsequently varied the bail conditions on July 19, 2024, and that the defendant has since fully complied with and perfected all the bail requirements.

Despite this, and to their surprise, Yakubu said the defendant remains in custody.

He disclosed that inquiries revealed the continued detention is purportedly linked to a separate charge purportedly pending before the Federal High Court in Awka.

Yakubu stressed that the continued detention of the defendant without a valid remand order constitutes a clear violation of his constitutional rights, as enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (as amended).

He further described it as a disobedience of valid and subsisting orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

In light of the above, the legal team is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the defendant from custody.