By Eshioromeh SEBASTIAN
I have said it repeatedly, and I will not tire of saying it: the greatest threat to our democracy, to the rule of law, and to the administration of justice in Nigeria is the growing culture of media trial. Nigerian politicians have elevated this to an art form. When the long arm of the law finally taps their shoulders, they refuse to bow. Rather than submit to the courts, they flee to the press—drafting statements, mobilising friendly civil society groups, and leaking carefully crafted “exclusives” to spin a simple criminal case into a tale of state oppression. It is an old trick, reheated so many times that it no longer convinces anyone.
The advent of online media has only poured petrol on this fire. Today, anyone with an internet connection and a grievance can become a publisher. Verification is optional. Balance is irrelevant. Sensationalism is the currency.
And the latest beneficiary of this toxic ecosystem is Amobi Ogah, the Labour Party member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency. He has now joined forces with SaharaReporters—a platform notorious for publishing false, malicious, and unverified stories without the basic courtesy of hearing the other side. The same SaharaReporters that has been caught fabricating stories, that has had multiple publications debunked as “false, malicious, and misleading,” that has earned a reputation as a blackmail machine rather than a news organisation—this is the platform Ogah has chosen to tell his story. If you cannot see the problem with that, you are not paying attention.
After the 2023 election, Ogah was declared winner in the controversial election. Hon. Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, dissatisfied with the outcome, filed a petition before the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia and she was declared winner of that election that an appeal court would later upturn in Ogah’s favour. Since then, Onyejeocha has moved on till recently when she resigned her ministerial position in a bid to recontest.
But then Ogah did something that would come back to haunt him. On May 18, 2023, he walked into the registry of the FCT High Court in Abuja and swore to an affidavit of facts. He stood before a Commissioner for Oaths and made solemn declarations. In that document, he claimed that Onyejeocha had boasted to her supporters of “buying over” the tribunal judges, particularly Justice Halima Saleeman; that she had influenced the removal of the panel chairman to bring in Justice Saleeman, whom she knew personally; and that Justice Saleeman had visited Onyejeocha’s Maitama residence to arrange a pre-determined judgment. These were not off-the-cuff remarks at a political rally. These were sworn statements, made under oath, in a court of law. An affidavit is a sacred instrument. When you sign one, you are telling the court—and the world—that what you say is true to the best of your knowledge. If you knowingly make false statements, you commit a criminal offence. This is not controversial. It is the foundation of any legal system that takes truth and accountability seriously.
Fast forward, on July 31, 2024, the Federal Government filed a five-count criminal charge against Ogah, not Onyejeocha. This distinction is crucial. The case is styled Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Amobi Godwin Ogah (Charge No. CR/650/2024). Count one accuses him of making a false declaration contrary to Section 164 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 158(2). Count two alleges another false declaration contrary to Section 391, punishable under Section 392. Count five accuses him of making false declarations with intent to destroy Onyejeocha’s reputation, contrary to Section 393 and punishable under the same section.
Now, Ogah and his supporters have trained their guns on the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. HURIWA has raised alarm over what it describes as a targeted vendetta orchestrated by Onyejeocha with Fagbemi’s backing, noting that Fagbemi previously represented Onyejeocha in election-related legal matters. Amobi and ignorant social media lapdogs ccused the AGF of using his office to intimidate, harass, and settle scores against perceived political opponents. They point to the criminal charge filed on July 31, 2024, as evidence of this alleged abuse of office.
But let us interrogate this claim. The AGF’s office filed the charge on July 31, 2024. The Police conducted an investigation. The DPP issued legal advice. The court independently reviewed the evidence. The suggestion that Fagbemi single-handedly orchestrated this prosecution ignores the multiple layers of institutional involvement. And it conveniently ignores the central question: what is the truth about the affidavit? If Ogah can prove that Onyejeocha actually made those boasts, that she did buy judges, that Justice Saleeman did visit her Maitama residence, then he has a complete defence. He can call witnesses. He can produce evidence. He can demonstrate that he had reasonable grounds to believe what he swore to. All of these belong in the courtroom, not in the press.
On June 24, 2026, Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court signed a Warrant of Commitment to Prison, ordering that Ogah be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre until July 6, 2026. Let me ask a simple question: what did Onyejeocha do wrong? She exercised her constitutional right to challenge an election result. She went to court. She lost. That should have been the end of it. But Ogah chose to escalate. He chose to swear an affidavit accusing her of the most grievous offences—of buying judges, of corrupting the judicial process. He chose to destroy her reputation. And now that the law has caught up with him, he wants us to believe he is the victim?
The Shepherd Who Cries Wolf
There is an old saying that a man who sets a trap for others often finds himself caught in it first. Ogah threw a stone and hid his hand. He cried wolf when there was no wolf, and now that he is truly in trouble, no one should be surprised that his cries are not believed. A man who lies under oath is a man who has no respect for the truth. A man who falsely accuses another of corruption is a man who does not believe in justice. And a man who then runs to the media to cry persecution is a man who has run out of options. Ogah’s latest media campaign is nothing but a desperate attempt to escape the consequences of his own actions. He cannot claim victimhood when he is the author of his own misfortune. If he is innocent, let him prove it—in court, not in the media.
There is a proper place for Ogah to respond to these allegations, is the courtroom. The law is not a toy. It is not a weapon to be wielded only when convenient. It is a system that demands accountability from everyone.
Amobi must stop hiding behind the skirts of SaharaReporters, man up and take responsibility for his actions.
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