The police in Abuja have invited Funke Adeoye, the executive director of Hope Behind Bars Africa, a criminal justice reforms organisation, to their station.

A post on the organisation’s X page said the invite is based on ongoing investigations relating to defamation of character, conspiracy and cyberbullying.

Adeoye received the police invitation letter on Thursday and will honour it through her lawyers, as she is currently out of the country on a work trip.

Yesterday, Our Executive Director @thefunkeadeoye received a letter from the Nigerian Police inviting her to the police station today, Friday 27th of September based on ongoing investigations relating to “defamation of character, conspiracy and cyber bully”.She would honor the…— HOPE BEHIND BARS AFRICA (Criminal Justice Reforms) (@hopebehindbar) September 27, 2024

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FIJ understands from police sources that the invite is connected to the viral story of Peter Nicholas, a 26-year-old photographer who spent 10 months in prison for resigning via text message.

Through the efforts of lawyers at Hope Behind Bars Africa, Nicholas was released and Adeoye made a post on it on August 27.

It was revealed that Nicholas was charged with “intentional insult” because he sent a text message to Oluwole Mike, his former boss, resigning his role as a photographer. However, when the boss was interviewed by the Punch, he said the young man was arrested for frivolous character, mismanagement, theft and defamation.

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With this invite, the police force is extending its cyberbullying and defamation onslaught against Adeoye. Earlier in September, FIJ reported how security agencies have been targeting journalists, pressure groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria for daring to ask critical questions about governance and demanding accountability from public officials.

From high-profile journalists like ‘Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of FIJ, to Joe Ajaero, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president and Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP), many citizens and organisations have been on the receiving end of the attack from security agencies.
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