Journalist Targeted After Refusing to Produce Defamatory Jingle
Authorities in Abuja, including a Magistrate Court and the Nigeria Police Force, have come under fire for allegedly colluding with a politically connected woman, Sandra Chidinma Duru (popularly known as “Prof Mgbeke”), to defy a restraining court order by harassing and attempting to arrest journalist Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya.
Journalist Targeted Over Refusal to Produce Defamatory Jingle
Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya, a respected journalist, political analyst, and gender advocate, is reportedly facing intense persecution after refusing to bow to unethical demands linked to a politically charged media project.
According to reliable sources, including family members who spoke to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Francess was approached by Sandra Chidinma Duru—popularly known as “Prof Mgbeke”—to produce a campaign jingle.
The jingle was allegedly designed to target Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who had publicly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment—an allegation that has sparked national controversy.
Duru, believed to be politically aligned with Akpabio, allegedly instructed Francess to craft the jingle in a way that would discredit Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
However, when Francess submitted the project in a professional and ethically responsible manner, Duru reportedly complained that it was “not indicting enough” and demanded a refund.
A family source revealed that after Francess refused to either rework the jingle in a defamatory tone or return the payment, Duru allegedly resorted to threats and began leveraging state institutions to intimidate her.
Police and Court Orders Ignored Amid Harassment
Despite a clear directive from a superior court, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force—allegedly acting under external pressure—have continued to harass and threaten journalist Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya, with apparent backing from a Magistrate Court that disregarded the High Court’s ruling.
Sources claim that Magistrate Ekpeyong of Magistrate Court 6, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, willfully ignored the Abia State High Court’s restraining order and ordered Francess’s remand at Keffi Prison.
Legal documents obtained by SaharaReporters reveal that the Abia State High Court had issued an order prohibiting Francess’s arrest or detention in connection to a commercial dispute. However, officers from the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Abuja reportedly continued to target her in violation of that order.
Francess, a professional journalist—not merely a blogger—refused to compromise her ethical standards. She allegedly informed the complainant that although she had received ₦350,000 for a jingle project, she had already paid other contributors involved in the production and was unable to refund the entire amount. She, however, reportedly refunded ₦50,000.
According to sources, the complainant, Sandra Chidinma Duru, popularly known as “Prof Mgbeke,” began threatening Francess via WhatsApp, boasting of her influence and vowing to “deal with her” using her connections.
In response, Francess approached the High Court seeking ₦500 million in damages for her unlawful detention and filed additional legal actions with similar demands.
“She was being harassed by Sandra Duru over a business transaction involving a jingle,” a source stated. “Sandra claimed the jingle didn’t meet her expectations and began threatening Francess, who then granted an interview to explain her side. Afterward, she was invited by the National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja. She honored the invitation and submitted a statement.
“She was granted administrative bail at around 9 p.m. on June 11, but the authorities seized her phone and obtained her password.
“Francess returned on June 12 and left Abuja the same day. However, on June 16, she was re-arrested in Umuahia by officers from the State CID. Once they confirmed she had already complied with police procedures in Abuja, they released her after detaining her for nearly four hours.”
Despite the ongoing investigation, Francess was subjected to continued online bullying by Sandra, prompting her to formally question the police about whether filing a case with them granted the complainant the right to harass her on social media. The police reportedly failed to respond.
Following these events, Francess sought protection from the Abia State High Court, which granted an order restraining any further attempt to arrest her pending the conclusion of the matter.
Nevertheless, police officers reportedly tried to arrest her again last week. Simultaneously, the National Cybercrime Centre filed a case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which also issued an order barring her arrest and instructed that all legal processes be served through her lawyer. That case was adjourned to October 10, while the one in Umuahia was fixed for July 29.
Rather than wait for either court to hear the matters, police secured a remand order from the Magistrate Court, returned to Umuahia, and took Francess into custody.
“She spent Thursday night at the Abia State Police Headquarters. On Friday, she was transferred to Owerri, where she was locked in a cell. By Sunday morning, they drove her from Owerri to Abuja and held her at the Abattoir detention facility,” a source said.
On Monday, Francess was taken in for questioning, during which she was reportedly intimidated and pressured to retract the previous interview she had granted.
Despite standing court orders from two separate courts barring her arrest, she remains in custody at the Kuje Correctional Facility. The police allegedly ignored the binding judicial directives and instead relied on a magistrate’s court to justify her continued detention.
Court Grants Interim Protection Against Police and Duru
In Suit No: HIN/FR158/2025, filed by Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya as the applicant, the respondents include Sandra Chidinma Duru; the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State CID Umuahia; the Commissioner of Police, Abia State; CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, Director of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre, Abuja; the Inspector General of Police; and the Nigeria Police Force.
The court issued an interim order restraining the respondents from arresting or detaining the applicant, disclosing private content from her mobile phone, or taking any further action related to the matter pending the determination of the substantive application.
A High Court in Abia State, in Suit No: HIN//2025, granted an interim order restraining the police and other respondents from arresting or detaining Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya, or exposing the private contents of her mobile phone, pending the hearing of her substantive application for the enforcement of her fundamental rights.
The court also approved substituted service of court documents to the first respondent, Sandra Chidinma Duru, via her WhatsApp number and Facebook pages.
Ogbonnaya’s motion contends that her arrest and detention on June 2, 2025, at the National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja—allegedly instigated by Duru following an interview she granted about threats to her life—violated her constitutional rights to dignity and personal liberty.
Her legal team also argued that the confiscation of her phone and forced disclosure of her password constituted a breach of her right to privacy.
Duru, Declared Wanted for Fraud, Now Government Witness
Duru or Prof Mgbeke, who was declared wanted by a Nigerian court in 2016 over allegations of fraud and threats, has been listed as a prosecution witness in the federal government’s criminal defamation case against suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Duru had previously fled Nigeria after a Lagos magistrate court issued a warrant for her arrest for failing to appear in court after being granted recognisance in a fraud case involving ₦10 million.
Despite being a fugitive with active warrants and a history of legal troubles, including charges of making death threats and character assassination, she is now expected to testify against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who the Senate suspended in March 2025 after accusing Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment, is facing charges filed by the Nigerian government. The charges stem from her claims that Akpabio and former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello conspired to assassinate her.
Meanwhile, whistleblower Obinna Oparaku Akuwudike remains in police detention.
He had earlier alleged that Sandra Duru paid him ₦2.5 million to produce defamatory content targeting Akpoti-Uduaghan, supposedly under Akpabio’s directive. Akuwudike later recanted, stating that the materials he was asked to create were false and part of a coordinated smear campaign.
