Nigerian journalist, Agba Jalingo, who is being tried for alleged treason, has been remanded in custody

The journalist was remanded to Kuje prison for alleged cybercrime by Judge Zainab Bage Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to reports,Justice Abubakar, during proceedings today allegedly prevented Jalingo’s attorneys from submitting a motion for bail after he was charged with cyberstalking.

Jalingo was charged with allegedly defaming Ben Ayade, the governor of Cross River State, and his wife Elizabeth Ayade, who is the sister of Frank Ayade. He is to be held in Kuje prison until Thursday.

Mrs Elizabeth Ayade is wife to the younger brother of the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, whose administration, Jalingo’s Cross River Watch has been critical of.

Present in court during Jalingo’s arraignment was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 general elections, Mr Omoyele Sowore, and other activists and members of the Nigerian Civil Society.

VOP news gathered that two charges bordering on alleged false publication intended to cause annoyance, ill will and insult to the person of Mrs Ayade, wife to Mr Frank Ayade, were preferred on Mr Jalingo.

Mrs Elizabeth Ayade who was also in court on Monday, had in July 2022, through her lawyer, Uyi Obayagbona, written to Mr Jalingo, seeking a retraction of an article that queried why a suspended staff of the University of Calabar, Paschal Aboh, was facing trial for allegedly impersonating a student of the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus (Mrs Ayade), while the person (Mrs Ayade) who allegedly contracted him walks free.