Emem Usoro Scandal: Journalist Stanley Ugagbe Remanded in Kuje Prison Over Cybercrime Charges

Secrets Reporters

Journalist Stanley Ugagbe has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre by the Federal High Court in Abuja following his arraignment on a six-count charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police over publications concerning the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Emem Usoro.

Ugagbe was arraigned before Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim on Monday morning, where the charges were read to him. Following the proceedings, the court ordered that he be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until September 21st for trial.

The development marks the latest chapter in a case that has drawn attention from journalists and press freedom advocates nationally and internationally following Ugagbe’s arrest and detention by the Nigeria Police Force.

The charges stem from criminal proceedings instituted by the Inspector-General of Police before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing Ugagbe and Fejiro Oliver of conspiracy, cyberstalking and defamation arising from a series of reports titled “Exclusive: CBN Deputy Governor Emem Nnana Usoro Hides N1.4 Billion California Luxury Condo in Asset Declaration Scandal – Part 1”; “EXCLUSIVE: CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Linked to N3.6bn Los Angeles Property Amid Questions Over Asset Declaration Compliance (Part 2)” published on SecretsReporters.

According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to commit cyberstalking contrary to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024). The police further accused Ugagbe of publishing stories alleging that the CBN deputy governor concealed a luxury property in California in her asset declaration, was linked to a multi-billion naira property in Los Angeles, and published another report concerning her personal life. The prosecution contended that the publications were false and constituted cyberstalking and defamation under the Cybercrimes Act and the Penal Code.

With the court now ordering his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Ugagbe will remain in custody pending the next hearing, which has been fixed for September. The court is expected to consider issues relating to his bail and continue proceedings on the substantive charges at the adjourned date.

Recall that Ugagbe’s ordeal began on July 1, 2026, when armed men reportedly abducted him on his way home from work. The operatives confiscated his mobile phones and laptop before taking him away in an unmarked vehicle. For several days, neither his family nor his employer knew his whereabouts.

His disappearance sparked widespread condemnation from media organizations, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which demanded that security agencies disclose his whereabouts, grant him access to his family and legal representatives, and either charge him before a competent court or release him.

International organizations also reacted. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Nigerian authorities to investigate his disappearance and ensure his immediate safety, while the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) intervened in efforts that eventually led to his release from police custody.

Following his release on July 6, Ugagbe was granted bail while police reportedly continued investigating allegations, including espionage, cyberstalking, and other computer-related offences.