CSOs Demand Justice For Maureen Badejo, End To Judicial Persecution

LAGOS – The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Lagos State has demanded justice for Ms. Maureen Omorinola Badejo, United Kingdom-based Nigerian blogger and activist, and is also seeking an end to judicial persecution.

The coalition in a statement on Sunday signed by Comrade Wale Ojo, Chairman, CDHR, Lagos Branch and Comrade Ola Agboola Jnr., Chairman media, noted that on Monday, March 16, 2026, Ms. Badejo will appear before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, for a ruling on her bail application.

Recall that she has been remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre since her arraignment on March 6 on charges of conspiracy and defamation brought by the Nigeria Police Force.

The coalition is seeking immediate and unconditional release of Ms. Badejo on March 16, 2026, saying that her continued detention serves no purpose other than to punish her for exercising her constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression.

The CSOs demand discontinuance of all charges against her. “These charges represent a classic case of using criminal defamation laws to settle what are essentially civil disputes, a practice that has no place in a democratic society governed by the rule of law.”

While demanding an end to the weaponisation of state institutions for private vendettas, the coalition said, “The Nigeria Police Force and Interpol must not be reduced to tools in the hands of powerful individuals seeking to intimidate their critics..

“Judicial independence and integrity must be upheld. We call on Justice Akintayo Aluko to rise above any external pressures and demonstrate that our courts remain sanctuaries of justice, not arenas for persecution.

“We demand that those who have orchestrated this judicial ambush, who have abused court processes and deployed state security apparatus for personal interests, be held accountable for their actions.

According to the coalition, the fight transcends Maureen Badejo. “It’s about every Nigerian who dares to speak out against injustice, who uses their voice to demand accountability, who refuses to be silenced by power and privilege.

“The pattern is unmistakable: criticise the powerful, and you’ll face the full weight of the state. Speak truth, and you’ll be met with charges. Demand accountability, and you’ll be remanded in custody. This is the face of authoritarian creep in Nigeria.

“We remind the Nigerian judiciary of its sacred duty: to protect the rights of all persons within the territory of Nigeria, regardless of their status or the identity of their accusers. The Constitution guarantees Ms. Badejo the right to liberty, the right to fair hearing, and the right to freedom of expression. These are not privileges to be granted at the discretion of the court, they are fundamental rights that must be protected at all costs.

 “We call on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, human rights organisations across the globe, and all friends of democracy to pay urgent attention to the deteriorating state of judicial independence and freedom of expression in Nigeria. The world must see what is being done in the name of “justice.”

It also appealed to the media to investigate the petitions, the prosecutors, and the pressures behind the case. “Expose the truth that powerful interests desperately want to hide.”

While insisting on justice, the coaltion, noted that what is unfolding is not the pursuit of justice but a carefully orchestrated judicial ambush designed to silence a critical voice. “We have witnessed this disturbing trend where the machinery of the state is weaponised to settle private scores, where powerful individuals deploy law enforcement agencies to intimidate and incarcerate those who dare to speak truth to power.”

“The charges against Ms. Badejo stem from petitions filed by clerics, individuals who, notably, have engaged with her in legal battles across international jurisdictions. In March 2022, the UK High Court of Justice ordered Apostle Johnson Suleman to pay Ms. Badejo £19,601 in a defamation suit he had filed against her. This critical context, that a British court found merit in her position, has been conveniently swept aside by the Nigerian prosecution.

 “The Nigerian judiciary, which ought to be the last hope of the common man, is increasingly being deployed as a weapon of oppression. We’ve seen this play out repeatedly, most recently in the case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, where ten truckloads of armed policemen were deployed to effect an unlawful arrest, and where civil society organisations condemned the “egregious abuse of court processes” that undermines public trust in our legal system .

“The same tactics are now being deployed against Ms. Badejo. A UK-based citizen was apprehended through Interpol, brought before a Nigerian court, and remanded in one of the country’s most congested correctional centres, all over charges that are fundamentally civil in nature and which have already been litigated in foreign courts.

“We stand with Maureen Badejo. We stand with her family, her legal team, and all those who have rallied to her defence. We draw strength from the knowledge that Nigerians in the diaspora crowdfunded her legal fees when she faced Suleman in UK courts, a testament to the power of collective solidarity.

“We reject the narrative that this is merely a “defamation matter.” This is a Political Prosecution. This is an attempt to send a chilling message to every journalist, blogger, activist, and ordinary citizen who dares to speak truth to power.

“Let the message go back to the persecutors: we will not be silenced.”

“The oppressed must never be put in a position where they have no choice but to surrender their dignity. Solidarity is not a gesture of charity but a mutual commitment among the free.” The CSOs added.