A Magistrate Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, has granted the Prosecution’s request in the alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation case against opposition politician and social critic Austin Usman Okai, allowing the Department of State Services (DSS) to complete its investigations into the allegations.
The decision of the DSS to seek for the remand of Okai in prison custody was to ensure compliance with the law by not keeping the accused beyond 48 hours in custody without the lawful permission of the court in line with the Criminal Justice System of Nigeria.
Magistrate Mobah Abdullahi of Chief Magistrate Court 1 sitting at Lugard Court in Lokoja granted the Prosecution’s application.
Okai was remanded to the Federal Correctional Center in Kabba, and the case was adjourned until March 13, 2025.
Okai, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is on trial for reportedly accusing Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo of stealing billions of naira intended for the state’s Local Government Area Councils and various state government organisations.
According to a viral video on social media, Okai was arrested by operatives of DSS in his Abuja home and forcefully dragged out of the house in the presence of his family and taken to Lokoja.
