BREAKING: Blogger Detained for Allegedly Writing Against Ogun Governor Released after 138 Days
- After spending 138 days in detention, Hammed Olamilekan, a blogger in Ogun state, has finally regained freedom
- Olamilekan, aka Labash, was reported to have been arrested and detained over an article he wrote against Governor Abiodun
- The blogger's lawyer who confirmed his release said the case was struck out when he appeared before the Federal High Court 1 in Abeokuta
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Abeokuta, Ogun state - Hammed Olamilekan, the blogger detained over an article written on the alleged criminal past of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been released, according to a report by The Punch.
The newspaper stated that the blogger, popularly known as Labash, who appeared before the Federal High Court 1, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, was released after spending 138 days in detention.
Source: Twitter
It was gathered that the blogger's lawyer, Habeeb Whyte, confirmed his release.
“Yes, he has been released. The case was struck out,” Whyte was quoted as saying.
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Hammed Olamilekan: How blogger's ordeal started
The blogger was arrested in mid-May. The lawyer who was earlier handling his case, Festus Ogun, had said that Olamilekan was detained in May after honouring an invitation by the Ogun state command of the Department of State Security Services (DSS).
Ogun accused Governor Abiodun of instigating the blogger’s arrest.
He argued that Governor Abiodun had the right to challenge the publication in court instead of allegedly using the secret police to harass the blogger.
Labash’s current lawyer, Whyte also said that the blogger was arrested and tried over his report on Abiodun.
According to him, he was charged for the “derogatory news on his website that touches on the person of the governor.”
Ogun state government denies involvement in Labash's case
However, Legit.ng gathers that the Ogun state government denied Governor Abiodun’s involvement in the blogger’s arrest.
Until his release, Labash was detained at the Ibara Prison in Abeokuta.
Governor Abiodun's former aide bags five-year jail term in US
In another report, Abidemi Rufai, a former aide to the governor of Ogun state, Abiodun, has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing over $500,000 funds meant for COVID-19 pandemic relief in the United States.
Rufai who was arrested at the JFK International Airport in New York in May 2021, had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
Tried before the US District Court in Tacoma, Washington, Judge Benjamin Settle issued the sentence on Rufai on Monday, September 26.
Source: Legit.ng
