The Nigeria Police Force is set to arraign UK-based Nigerian blogger, Maureen Badejo, before the Federal High Court on Monday over multiple charges bordering on alleged cybercrime, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Badejo’s lawyer, Barrister George Ogunjimi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the police legal team intends to file a multi-count charge against the blogger following petitions reportedly submitted by senior Christian clerics.
According to Ogunjimi, Badejo recently returned to Nigeria in connection with an appeal court matter scheduled for hearing in Ibadan on February 16, 2026, before she was invited by law enforcement authorities.
He explained that Badejo was arrested and interrogated by operatives of the police Cybercrime Unit at the Adekunle Police Station, Yaba, Lagos, following a petition allegedly written by the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
The lawyer dismissed claims circulating on social media that Badejo was abducted or forcefully picked up by the police, insisting that she honoured the police invitation voluntarily.
“She was not picked up or abducted. She went to the police station personally in response to the invitation,” Ogunjimi said.
He further revealed that while Badejo was still at the station, a second petition allegedly emerged, this time from the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pastor Daniel Olukoya.
Ogunjimi said the fresh petition led to her continued detention and subsequent transfer to the Alagbon detention facility in Lagos.
Despite the development, the lawyer expressed confidence in the case, noting that the alleged offences are bailable and that her legal team is prepared to challenge the charges in court.
“We are optimistic. The alleged offences are bailable, and by God’s grace, we will secure her bail on Monday,” he said.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Badejo was arrested on Friday in Lagos by detectives attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) following petitions filed against her by Apostle Suleman and Pastor Olukoya.
Sources told SaharaReporters that she was interrogated at the police Cybercrime Unit in the Adekunle, Yaba area of Lagos State.
While details of the allegations contained in the petitions were not disclosed as of the time of filing this report, sources said the matter is connected to online publications and social media activities allegedly linked to the blogger.
As of Friday evening, the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement clarifying the allegations against Badejo or the legal basis for her continued detention.
Efforts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, for comments were unsuccessful.
In August 2023, SaharaReporters reported that Badejo rejected an offer by Apostle Suleman to pay £500 monthly towards a £19,601 judgment sum awarded against him by the Queen’s Bench Division of the UK High Court of Justice.
In March 2022, the Queen’s Bench Division ordered Suleman to pay the sum as sanctions in a defamation suit he instituted against Badejo. The court subsequently dismissed his application and ruled in Badejo’s favour.
Badejo was earlier summoned in the UK over allegations of defaming the cleric, while Nigerians in the diaspora reportedly raised funds to support her legal defence.
In December 2023, SaharaReporters also reported that a former MFM pastor, Sunday Bawura Olowoyeye, filed a N1billion suit against Pastor Olukoya over alleged illegal and oppressive detention.
Olowoyeye alleged that he was arrested and detained for 16 days at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Lagos, purportedly on the orders of Olukoya after he shared his grievances with Badejo, who publicised his claims.
Badejo has since interviewed several individuals who made serious allegations against the two clerics, allegations which neither cleric has publicly responded to.
