Members of Omega Fire Ministries (OFM) across Nigeria have threatened to stage nationwide protests if a court releases the international passport of UK-based blogger, Maureen Badejo, who is facing trial over alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation involving the church’s General Overseer, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
The planned protests follow reported calls by a coalition of civil society organisations urging the court to release Badejo’s travel documents. Her international passport was seized as part of the bail conditions imposed after she was arraigned on charges bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
The church members argued that returning the passport could enable the blogger, who resides in the United Kingdom, to leave Nigeria before the conclusion of her trial, thereby frustrating the judicial process.
According to the group, maintaining the travel restriction is necessary to ensure that Badejo remains available to stand trial and that the court is able to conclude proceedings without interference.
They contended that because the allegations involve online publications capable of crossing national borders, allowing her to travel abroad could place her beyond the reach of Nigerian courts and complicate the prosecution of the case.
The church members also expressed concern that if permitted to leave the country, Badejo could allegedly continue publishing defamatory content from outside Nigeria, making it difficult for local court orders to be effectively enforced.
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They further argued that relaxing the bail condition would send the wrong signal by creating what they described as undue leniency for individuals facing serious cyber-related offences.
According to representatives of the group, the case goes beyond allegations of defamation and includes claims relating to threats against the leadership and members of Omega Fire Ministries.
They alleged that some of Badejo’s online publications contained statements considered threatening to the lives of Apostle Suleman and members of the church, insisting that the nature of the allegations makes it imperative for the court to retain the existing travel restrictions until the case is concluded.
The group maintained that preserving the bail conditions would reinforce public confidence in the justice system and demonstrate that individuals facing criminal charges, particularly those with foreign residency, remain accountable to the courts.
Maureen Badejo was arrested in February by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, following petitions alleging defamation and conspiracy to publish and transmit defamatory statements and videos through her YouTube channel and Facebook platforms against Apostle Johnson Suleman.
The matter remains before the court.
