The Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch (NBA Owerri), has announced the release of its former Secretary, Mr. Chinedu Agu, following a prolonged period of detention.
The announcement was made in a press statement dated October 21, 2025, and signed by the current Branch Secretary, Daniel Odiba, Esq.
The statement reads:
“This is to inform all members of the Bar that our former Secretary, Mr. Chinedu Agu, has been released pursuant to an order of court.
“We sincerely appreciate everyone who showed concern and support during the period of his detention, particularly the very supportive President of the Bar, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, for his immense assistance and solidarity.”
Mr. Agu’s detention had drawn significant public attention and legal debate, particularly after a Federal High Court in Owerri, presided over by Justice Chituru Wigwe-Oreh, denied him bail on Thursday, despite the bail application being uncontested.
Mr. Agu was initially remanded on September 26, 2025, by an Owerri Magistrate Court, which ordered his detention at the Owerri Correctional Centre pending investigation into alleged criminal offences, including social media posts reportedly critical of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma. The Magistrate had also denied him bail.
Shortly after that ruling, however, the Federal High Court granted Mr. Agu bail—an order that legally superseded the earlier remand decision. Despite this, correctional authorities failed to release him, sparking widespread condemnation from legal experts and human rights advocates.
With the eventual release of Mr. Agu, legal observers and colleagues within the Bar continue to express concern about the broader implications of his detention for the rule of law, judicial independence, and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
