The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has raised alarm over continued persecution and unlawful detention of Fejiro Oliver, a journalist and activist currently facing legal harassment at the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State.
NACAT in a statement on Monday in Abuja by its NACAT’s Operations Manager, Stanley Ugagbe, recalled that on October 16, 2025, the Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State granted bail to Mr. Fejiro Oliver.
Ugagbe, accused the Delta State Government of engaging in forum shopping aimed at frustrating the enforcement of Oliver’s bail granted by the Federal High Court, Asaba, on October 16.
According to him, while Oliver’s legal team was perfecting his bail conditions, the Delta State Government allegedly obtained a reproduction warrant to arraign him before Magistrate Court 3, Asaba, on Monday, a move NACAT described as an attempt to file new or duplicate charges.
NACAT maintained that if the Delta State Government had a genuine case, the proper course of action would be to amend the existing charges before the Federal High Court rather than file parallel cases in multiple courts.
“Filing before two different courts over the same subject matter is a gross abuse of judicial process and a violation of the rule of law,” he stated.
The group condemned the development, calling it a coordinated effort to undermine the authority of the Federal High Court and to use the state judiciary as a tool for political persecution.
“We view this as a coordinated effort to undermine the authority of the Federal High Court and to use the state judiciary as a tool for political persecution which will not stand,”
According to him, NACAT would not sit idly while politicians and political actors manipulate the courts for sordid purposes.
“We are alerting the Nigerian judiciary to how these actors are attempting to exploit judicial loopholes and delay tactics to achieve sinister ends,” he added.
NACAT further threatened to petition the National Judicial Council, NJC, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and foreign embassies for visa sanctions against any judicial officer found complicit in this abuse.
“The initiation of multiple proceedings over the same matter constitutes a clear abuse of court process and a violation of judicial integrity.
“It amounts to forum shopping and stands against the established principles of superior courts, which strongly condemn the filing of parallel or duplicate charges intended to circumvent judicial orders.
“Let it be clear: once the Federal High Court bail conditions are perfected, Fejiro Oliver must be released immediately, as no lower court has the authority to override or delay a subsisting bail order,” he stated.
He called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, to direct the Chief Judge of Delta State to ensure that no Magistrate Court under his authority is used to subvert or undermine the decisions of a superior court.
“National Judicial Council should review all charges and warrants relating to Oliver to detect and sanction any abuse of process.
“NBA should defend the ethics and independence of the judiciary and take disciplinary action against any judicial officer who allows him or herself to be used for political manipulation.”
The organisation added that it would submit petitions to the NBA and foreign embassies, seeking visa bans and international blacklisting of any judicial officials involved in the case