‘Its Illegal’ – Lawyer Knocks Nigerian Immigration Over Bobrisky’s Arrest

Human rights lawyer Festus Ogun has expressed strong disapproval of the arrest of Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

Ogun took to Facebook to condemn the arrest, asserting that it violates Bobrisky’s constitutional rights, particularly the right to free movement and personal liberty, which are enshrined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

Ogun argued that there are no charges against Bobrisky that would justify the arrest and continued harassment.

He said: “The Nigerian Immigration Service’s recent arrest of Bobrisky while attempting to travel out of Nigeria is arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional. Denying a Nigerian citizen the right to leave the country without legal grounds is completely unjustifiable.”

He added that the NIS’s actions set a dangerous precedent that could lead to further restrictions on the freedoms of citizens, particularly activists and outspoken individuals.

The lawyer warned: “If the NIS is allowed to get away with this, the Nigerian state may not hesitate to restrict the freedom of its citizens—especially journalists, activists, and vocal patriots—on the basis that they are ‘persons of interest.’”

Recall that Bobrisky was intercepted at the Sème border by immigration officers earlier in the week while attempting to leave Nigeria.

He was later detained overnight at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) annex in Alagbon, Lagos, fueling widespread controversy.