BREAKING: Lagos Judge Urges Influencer ‘Ijele Speaks’ To Apply For Release After Year-Long Detention Ordered By Prophet Ebuka Without Trial

A Federal High Court judge in Lagos, Justice Daniel Osiagor, has urged the legal team of social media influencer Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele Speaks II, to apply for his release from prison custody after federal prosecutors failed to appear in court for his arraignment.

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

Sources explained that the judge, who frowned on the absence of the federal prosecution, expressed surprise that Mr. Ofoegbu had remained in prison for over a year despite fulfilling his earlier bail conditions.

However, 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 federal judge sitting in Lagos has requested the attorneys for Harrison Ofoegbu, also known as Ijele Speaks, to seek his release from custody pending a proper arraignment,” one of the sources close to the case said.

"The judge who frowned on the absence of the federal prosecution wondered how Mr. Ijele had remained in prison for more than a year after fulfilling his earlier bail conditions.”

"However, the judge said he could not make a decision on bail because the prosecution was absent in court but urged the lawyer to send a letter to Ikoyi prison seeking his release since there was no court order sustaining his detention any longer," the source added.

On May 8, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, had adjourned the cyberstalking case against Ijele Speaks II to May 23, 2025.

Despite the presence of Ofoegbu and his lawyer, Yakubu Galadima, in court, the matter was postponed.

Following the brief court appearance, Ofoegbu was returned to Ikoyi Custodial Centre. Notably, the production warrant that brought him to Lagos for trial from the Federal High Court in Awka expired on the same day.

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters previously reported that Ofoegbu was scheduled to appear in the Lagos court as part of his long-delayed trial. This followed over a year of what activists have described as unjust detention. His case was recently transferred from Anambra to Lagos State.

Ofoegbu also faces another court appearance on June 16 before Justice Akintayo Aluko at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi.

The transfer of Ofoegbu’s case to Lagos followed a legal victory: a court nullified an arrest warrant to move him to Anambra State.

Ijele Speaks II has spent over a year in detention following his arrest over allegations against popular preacher Evangelist Ebuka Obi.

He was taken into custody by the Nigeria Police Force in March 2024 after he publicly accused Obi, founder of the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, of orchestrating fake miracles.

In a viral post, Ijele described the pastor as a fraud and dismissed his televised miracles as staged performances. He also called for Obi’s arrest, alleging that he had commercialised his religious platform.

In response, police authorities in Abuja summoned Ofoegbu over allegations of criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying. However, after honouring the police invitation, he was detained and later transferred to the Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State.

Ofoegbu’s prolonged detention has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and activists, who view the case as a troubling attack on free speech and have continued to demand his immediate release.