Justice for Angel: Stand Against Injustice

On February 6th 2025, Olufunke Afeh a.k.a Angels Empire, a resident of Abuja-Nigeria, was arrested after she received a trick phone call from the Nigerian police pertaining to a fabricated crime involving an allegedly “stolen phone”. On getting there, she was immediately arrested and taken to the Force CID in Abuja, allowing her no access to an attorney and her phones were confiscated: Angel was rendered incommunicado. Details surrounding her arrest and detention became sketchy. This was clearly a strategy of the Nigerian Police to hinder her legal defence and social support by taking her far away from her support networks.

Luckily, before Angel left her home for the station, she shared information with her online audience (via a video post) about the suspicious phone call she had received. That video post alerted her family and lawyers. Once the lawyers got to the police station, they were given little or no information about Angel or exactly why she was arrested. They were not allowed to see her either.

Then on February 8th 2025 (48 hours after her arrest), Police officers from Lagos arrived Abuja and they forcefully flew Angel from Abuja to Lagos without giving her the opportunity to notify her legal counsel, or her 8 year-old daughter. At that point, Angel’s fate and whereabouts were unknown!

Upon arrival in Lagos, Angel was forced to make a statement in the absence of her legal counsel and she was coerced into making confessional statements under very questionable circumstances. She was finally allowed to speak to a lawyer on February 10th 2025 after which discussions commenced with the police about securing her bail. Then on February 12th, 2025 (6 days after her arrest), she was brought before the magistrate court where the Police put in an application for her to be remanded for a longer period of time. Angel was finally granted bail on February 19th 2025 and remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum prison until bail conditions were met.

Prolonged confinement is a violation of international law and Nigerian law. In Nigeria, the legal limit for time spent in custody is 24-48 hours but Angel was in custody for an extended period of time without a trial! Furthermore, Angel’s fundamental human rights were grossly violated by denying her access to an attorney, by not giving her food or water in Abuja (and also not allowing her to buy food for herself).

WHAT LED TO ANGEL’S ARREST

A petition was written against Angel by Nancy Umeh, the elder siter of Korra Obidi. Nancy made a series of fictitious claims against Angel such as “cyberstalking” and “threat to life”.

Angel is a blogger and is said to have published videos that did not go down well with Nancy. Nancy was angry about the videos and she boasted that she would use her money to make a scapegoat of a blogger that resides in Nigeria. Because Nancy wanted to criminalize the matter, she sent the police to arrest Angel.

It is unimaginable that policemen were flown all the way from Lagos (where Nancy resides) to Abuja, where Angel resides, to have Angel brought down to Lagos to answer a petition made by a fellow Nigerian.

BACKGROUND

Olufunke Afeh (Angel) is a beloved philanthropist, blogger and a vocal critic cum campaigner against injustice. As part of an ongoing campaign of repression on bloggers who dare air their opinions about the ‘Obidi sisters’, Angel was targeted by these sisters for her legitimate personal beliefs and opinions.

CURRENT SITUATION

Angel is currently awaiting arraignment at the Federal High Court in Lagos. This is scheduled to hold on April 8th 2025. Several hearings are expected to follow suit.

We are now calling on individuals, collectives and networks to raise funds to get #JusticeForAngel for the reasons outlined below:

1. CORRUPTION

A case that started online as one between a ‘blogger’ and a ‘fellow civilian’ has now turned into a case between ‘The Inspector General of Police’ versus Olufunke Afeh. According to Wikipedia [Click Here To Read], “There are high amounts of corruption within the Nigerian Police Force, and the wealthy are able to pay off the police to act as their security, as well as expect the police to turn a blind eye to any illegal activities they may participate in.”

So far, we are of the opinion that Angel’s case was maliciously delayed and prolonged by the Nigerian Police for the senseless purpose of just keeping her imprisoned, which is a tortuous level of uncertainty for not only her, but also for her 8 year-old daughter, her aged mother and all the people close to her.

2. FREEDOM OF SPEECH

As a blogger and media personality, a prosecution of this nature would be a violation of Angel’s freedom of expression and the press as guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Section 39 provides that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference”.

Angel deserves to get a fair trial which will render possible efforts by the police to contravene this case, futile. Solid legal representation is required to achieve this. Therefore, funds are needed to cover Angel's legal fees, administration fees, logistics (Abuja-Lagos-Abuja), accommodation, phone calls and other miscellaneous expenses.

MISSION STATEMENT: What crime did Angel commit to warrant her being unjustly detained and deprived of legal counsel at the most crucial stages of her arrest and transfer to an entirely unknown city? Angel is a blogger who exposes injustices and challenges false narratives. It is therefore imperative that we rally around her for the sole purpose of the protection of human rights, truth, justice and to uphold the foundation of our democracy. Our MISSION and DUTY as humans is to advocate for the well-being of all individuals, irrespective of their race, creed, religion or socio-economic class.

#Donate #JusticeForAngel