By Sulaimon Popoola
The Take It Back Movement has secured the release of two young Nigerians, Saheed Jamiu Osama, popularly known as “Shamsodium,” and Godwin Udoekwere, also known as “Honeywhite,” who had been held in detention for two months under charges instituted by the office of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The duo, both TikTokers, were granted bail on Thursday by Honourable Justice Kala of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division.
They had been incarcerated in police and prison custody over comments made on TikTok. A development that sparked outrage over what rights advocates describe as the misuse of the Cybercrime Act to suppress free expression in Nigeria.
Head of Legal Intervention for the Take It Back Movement, Barrister Bolaji M. Oluwatosin, who represented the duo in court, said the legal action was taken on the instructions of Take It Back Movement Convener, Omoyele Sowore, and the wider leadership of the global movement.
He explained that Sowore’s intervention brought national attention to the plight of the young men and exposed how the Cybercrime Act is increasingly deployed as a political weapon against dissent.
“I moved the applications in court today; the court after hearing us granted them bail. They have regained their freedom, though the larger battle continues,” Oluwatosin said.
He emphasised that Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression, warning that this fundamental right cannot be curtailed by the oppressive use of the Cybercrime Act.
According to him, defamation should never be treated as a criminal offence but strictly as a civil matter.
“This matter speaks to the soul of our democracy,” he noted. “We will not fold our arms while unjust laws are twisted to crush the voices of the poor and the young. We will resist, we will litigate, and we will continue to insist that free speech is the cornerstone of democracy and that no government has the power to take it away.”
The Take It Back Movement described the bail as one victory in a larger, ongoing struggle to defend press freedom and civil liberties in Nigeria.
The Movement also expressed appreciation to other legal and activist allies who played instrumental roles in the case. These include Counsel Terhemba Kaabeega, who appeared twice in the matter, Comrade Netufo Tomide who spearheaded the intervention, as well as Ayo Ademiluyi, BlackBullet, Aphrosophy, Baba Jamal, Comrade Ochuko, Seaking, and many others.
The Barrister ended the statement with a call to action: “This is only one battle won. The war for freedom of expression in Nigeria rages on.”
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