Fresh concerns have emerged over the continued detention of investigative journalist Fejiro Oliver as the Delta State Police Command reportedly moves to re-arrest him on Thursday, even as he is scheduled to appear before a Federal High Court in Asaba for a bail hearing.
Multiple senior police sources confirmed to Peoples Gazette that plans are underway to file new charges against Mr. Oliver, born Tega Oghenedoro, in what insiders describe as a calculated strategy to keep the journalist behind bars despite ongoing legal proceedings.
“The plan is to file additional charges so that even if the court grants him bail, he would be re-arrested and detained,” a senior police officer familiar with the plot disclosed. “These new charges are based on fresh petitions from Stella Okotete and Senator Dafinone.”
According to police insiders, the re-arrest plot is being coordinated with the backing of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, whose earlier petitions triggered Oliver’s controversial arrest and transfer from Abuja to Asaba on September 18, 2025.
Oliver has spent over two weeks in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Asaba, following accusations of cyberstalking and defamation. His legal team has consistently maintained that his detention amounts to persecution for his journalism.
Rights groups have also condemned the prolonged detention, describing it as a deliberate abuse of power aimed at silencing critical reporting.
Fresh legal action against Oliver stems from petitions filed by Stella Okotete, a former ministerial nominee and ex-Executive Director at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), and Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District.
Okotete accused Oliver of publishing damaging reports linking her to investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)—allegations she claimed contributed to the Senate’s rejection of her ministerial nomination in 2023. She described the publications as “false and malicious” and blamed them for “destroying her reputation.”
Similarly, Senator Dafinone petitioned the police, accusing Oliver of making defamatory social media posts, including referring to him as a “sleeping senator,” “POS senator,” and “scammer in NASS.”
Police prosecutors have charged Oliver under Section 24(2)(c)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended) — a legal provision frequently deployed by authorities to target journalists, whistleblowers, and online critics.
The new set of charges, expected to be filed on Thursday, would allow police to effect a fresh arrest inside the courtroom immediately after his bail hearing, effectively circumventing any release order from the judge.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who represents Oliver, condemned the move, calling it “a blatant attempt to undermine the rule of law and keep a journalist in perpetual detention for doing his job.”
Last week, the Federal High Court in Asaba, presided over by Justice F. A. Olubanjo, ordered the police to show cause within 48 hours why Oliver should not be released unconditionally after 16 days in detention without trial.
Despite the order, the police have not complied, and the journalist remains in custody, raising further concerns about judicial defiance and political interference.