BREAKING: Court Grants N50Million Bail To UK-Based Blogger Maureen Badejo Over Alleged Cyberstalking, Defamation Of MFM Pastor
Justice Akintayo Aluko granted the blogger bail in the sum of N50 million with strict conditions.
A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday granted bail to a United Kingdom-based Nigerian blogger and activist, Maureen Omorinola Badejo, who had been remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre over allegations of cyberstalking and defamation.
Justice Akintayo Aluko granted the blogger bail in the sum of N50 million with strict conditions.
The court ordered Badejo to provide two sureties as part of the bail conditions.
One of the sureties must be a relative of the defendant, while the other must be a Level 14 officer employed in a government ministry.
The judge also ruled that the sureties must own property within Lagos State and must present valid means of identification, including a National Identification Number (NIN).
The court further directed Badejo to deposit her passport with the court as part of the bail conditions and directed that her personal belongings should be released to her.
Justice Aluko subsequently adjourned the case until June 1, 2026, for further proceedings.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Badejo was remanded in prison after being arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force on multiple counts bordering on alleged cyberstalking and defamation.
The charges stem from podcasts allegedly published on her GIO TV Media platform in which the police accused her of making defamatory claims against Pastor Ajose Sola, a regional pastor of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) in the Igando area of Lagos.
According to the charge sheet dated February 25, 2026, Badejo and others still at large were accused of disseminating allegedly false statements through social media using a Facebook account.
The police alleged that in one of the podcasts, the blogger claimed that the cleric was involved in “several diabolical practices,” including performing sacrifices and engaging individuals to carry out spiritual activities on his behalf.
In another count, Badejo was accused of publishing a podcast alleging that the pastor was having an affair with the wife of a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) who lives in the same estate.
The prosecution also alleged that the blogger made another podcast claiming that the cleric buried a live cow and ram behind his residence for alleged satanic purposes and used “juju” to control members of his congregation.
In a separate count, the police accused Badejo of questioning why the pastor allegedly performed rituals and used “black medicine” while selling “manna water” to members of the church.
The prosecution argued that the publications were knowingly false and capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
The alleged offences, according to the police, contravene Section 24(1)(b) and are punishable under Section 24(2)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act as amended in 2024.
Prior to Monday’s ruling, a coalition of civil society organisations in Lagos State had demanded Badejo’s immediate release, describing her detention as an attempt to silence dissent.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos Branch, Wale Ojo, and its media chairman, Ola Agboola Jnr., the coalition described the case as a “judicial ambush designed to silence a critical voice.”
The coalition further noted that Badejo had previously been involved in a legal dispute in the United Kingdom with one of her accusers, claiming that the UK High Court of Justice had earlier ruled in her favour in a defamation case.
They warned that the prosecution of the blogger reflected what they described as the growing “weaponisation of state institutions” against critics in Nigeria.
The group further called on the judiciary to uphold its independence and ensure that the case does not undermine freedom of expression.
