Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Chief Magistrates' Court sitting along Moore Road in Calabar has ordered the remand of a Cross River-born businessman, Denis Odama, for seven days over allegations that he bullied Governor Bassey Otu on social media. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by Magistrate Mercy Ene, has ignited a fierce debate across the state about the boundaries of free speech and the use of law enforcement to silence political critics.
Odama, a car dealer and social commentator who is also pursuing a doctorate degree at a university in Lagos, was arrested in Lagos on Sunday, August 9, following a petition alleging that his online activities amounted to harassment of the governor. He was subsequently flown to Calabar on Thursday under police escort and arraigned before the magistrate court. The court, after hearing arguments from the prosecution, represented by F. Okoi, Esq., and the defence counsel, K. Omang, Esq., relied on the discretionary powers conferred on it by the Cross River State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2016 to remand the defendant. The matter has been adjourned until August 19, 2026, for further proceedings.
The controversy that led to Odama's arrest began after Governor Otu announced the swearing-in of two new commissioners into the state executive council. In a comment posted beneath the governor's social media announcement, Odama reportedly questioned the continued appointment of a woman in the Ministry of Sports. "That woman in the ministry of sport, does she have your nude? Why not replace her with someone that can revive sporting administration in the state?" Odama wrote.
The comment has since become the centre of a dispute that has drawn sharp reactions from across the political and legal spectrum. Some commentators argue that Odama's choice of words was crude and inappropriate, amounting to an insinuation that the governor was involved in a sexual relationship with the female appointee. Legal practitioner Paul Nyambi, Principal Consultant at PAN Street Solicitors, said Odama's statement was "in bad taste" and could reasonably be interpreted as an insinuation of a sexual relationship. Nyambi, however, stressed that even where an allegation of wrongdoing exists, any action against a suspect must remain within the law, and that whether the statement amounts to cyberbullying or another criminal offence is ultimately a matter for a competent court to determine.
Other commentators have taken a different view, arguing that the expression was crude political satire rather than a literal allegation of sexual relations. According to that interpretation, asking whether an appointee "has your nude" could be understood as asking whether the appointee possesses compromising information about the governor that explains why she continues to retain her position despite criticism of her performance. That interpretation has fuelled the argument that the statement should be judged in its political context rather than automatically treated as an allegation of sexual misconduct.
The arrest and remand of Odama have triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with citizens, activists, lawyers and commentators divided over the propriety of his alleged statement and the manner in which the authorities reportedly responded. Several Cross Riverians have called for Odama's release while simultaneously acknowledging that his language could have been better. Diamond Okpo Bassey appealed to the authorities to "temper justice with mercy," saying citizens should be allowed to express their opinions even when their words are harsh or critical. Ebekwarra Iten Iba similarly argued that if the words were wrong, the appropriate response should be to address the words rather than silence the underlying criticism. "If the words were wrong, address the words. If the question was uncomfortable, answer the question," the commentator said.
Odama is a native of Bekwarra Local Government Area and is known for using social media to satirically criticise governance and developments in his home state. Last weekend, he shared a screenshot of a post he originally made in August 2024, in which he criticised the continued failure to restore electricity in Bekwarra despite an alleged directive by Governor Otu. "Two years after Governor Bassey Otu ordered the restoration of electricity in Bekwarra, Bekwarra still wallows in darkness with no electricity in sight," Odama wrote. He also alleged that the governor had given money to some of his associates in Bekwarra under the guise of awarding contracts.
His kinsman and fellow businessman, Tom Alims, had earlier raised the alarm over the arrest in a Facebook post on Tuesday. According to Alims, the Divisional Police Officer of the FESTAC Police Division in Lagos informed people at the station that Odama was being arrested for allegedly "bullying the Governor of Cross River State, HE, Prince Bassey Edet Otu on Social Media." Alims claimed there were indications that Governor Otu might not have been aware of the development. CrossRiverWatch also reported that two policemen from the Cross River State Police Command arrived at the FESTAC Division to take Odama to Cross River State. The development reportedly caused concern among his friends and colleagues who were present at the station. Odama was expected to sit for an examination on Tuesday but could not do so because of his arrest.
Jonathan Ugbal, Deputy National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, described the incident as an "abduction" and called for Odama's immediate release. "This is clearly an abduction and nothing more! There is no actual reason stated yet by the Police and it has been 48 hours," Ugbal said. He alleged that the police could be seeking a court order to detain Odama, describing the development as what he considered a pattern of using law enforcement agencies to intimidate critics. "It is unfortunate that despite the law clearly stating that investigation must precede arrests, we still find the Police being used as a tool for oppressive acts," he added.
The case has also drawn attention to the broader issue of free speech in Nigeria, where critics of political leaders have increasingly faced arrest and prosecution for their online expressions. The remand of Odama, who is not accused of any violent crime, has raised questions about the proportionality of the state's response to political satire and the use of cyberbullying laws to stifle dissent. As the case adjourns to August 19, the people of Cross River State and beyond will be watching closely to see whether the court will uphold the rule of law or allow the prosecution of a citizen for a comment that many have described as crude satire rather than a criminal offence.
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