Timeline of activities

Agba Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch was arrested by the Nigeria Police in 2019, 2022 and 2023, he was charged with multiple offences including but not limited to terrorism, treasonable felony and attempt to topple the Cross River State Government. He spent 34 days in jail before his trial started in 2019.

  • 17 July 2019

    Mr. Jalingo published an article titled “How Ayade Approved And Diverted
    N500 million for Cross River Microfinance Bank”.

  • 22 August 2019

    He was arrested in Lagos by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team
    of the Nigeria Police.

  • 13 September 2019

    He fell sick and was rushed to the Police Clinic but was returned to the facility
    where he was detained despite the doctor insisting he spends the night.

  • 14 September 2019

    He returned to the clinic and was directed to rest in the hospital for observation.
    The Police refused and took him back into detention.

  • 4 October 2019

    Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Calabar denied Mr Jalingo bail.

  • 11 October 2019

    Police filed a motion to amend charges and seek protection of witnesses.

  • 16 October 2019

    The prosecution counsel filed for an amendment of charges & an order to protect its witnesses. The trial judge ordered the prison officers never to bring Mr Jalingo into the court premises in chains.

  • 22 October 2019

    The officers cuffed Mr Jalingo and only removed the cuffs as soon as he stepped out of the van. The trial stalled on technical grounds as the prosecution & defense counsel could not agree on the processes filed.

  • 23 October 2019

    Court grants leave for prosecution to mask witnesses.

  • 30 October 2019

    The trial judge refused to grant Mr Jalingo bail on account of his ill health. He said S.161(2)(C) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) relied on by the defence counsel will only avail if the accused has been in custody for 1 year.

    The case was adjourned until 6th & 7th November, 2019.

  • 19, August 2022

    Agba Jalingo was rearrested as police operatives from the FCT Command stormed Jalingo’s Ogudu residence in Lagos State and arrested him after Elizabeth Ayade filed a defamation and cyberattack complaint to police and requested the outlet retract the report and pay 500 million naira in damages or face litigation.

  • 22, August 2022

    He was released and was asked to return two days later on August 22, but was later told by the police to return back to Lagos since Mrs Ayade failed to show up at the FCT Police Command.

  • 8, December 2022

    Authorities in the southern Nigerian state of Cross River filed cybercrime charges against Jalingo.

  • 27, March 2023

    A Federal court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, ordered the detention of CrossRiverWatch publisher Agba Jalingo for allegedly publishing false news that caused “Annoyance, ill will and insult” in violation of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.

  • 1, April 2023

    The publisher of CrossRiverWatch, Agba Jalingo, has regained freedom after one week at the medium-security custodial centre in Kuje, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, through his team of lawyers led by Femi Falana, SAN.