Nigeria Police Summon Journalist Fejiro Oliver on Espionage Charges

The National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force has issued a formal summons to Fejiro Oliver, publisher and editor‑in‑chief of the investigative outlet SecretsReporters, accusing him of espionage, cyberstalking and other computer‑related offences. Oliver, who is currently in the United States after previously seeking asylum, rejected the allegations, saying his work exposing corruption is being criminalised. The summons follows a week‑long detention of senior reporter Stanley Ugagbe, whose laptops and phones were seized for forensic analysis.

Separately, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate major technology firms—including Meta, Alphabet, X and several generative‑AI platforms—for alleged anti‑competitive practices and the unauthorised use of journalistic content. The Nigerian Press Organisation welcomed the move, citing concerns that big‑tech exploitation threatens the financial viability of local media.

Both developments highlight heightened government scrutiny of the media sector in Nigeria, raising concerns among press‑freedom groups and industry observers about the use of security and competition laws to curb journalistic activity.