February 23, 2026 — SUNTV Global Channel | News Report
A Nigerian activist, Obonyilo Enenche Peter, has formally petitioned President Bola Tinubu, accusing operatives of the Nigeria Police Force of unlawful arrest, abuse of power, and illegal detention for a total of 75 days over social media posts related to a prominent cleric.
In the seven-page petition dated February 16, 2026, Peter alleged that his ordeal stemmed from a complaint connected to Dr. Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre.
Arrest And Alleged Pressure To Apologise
According to the petition, Peter said he was first arrested on December 23, 2024, by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department of the police following two Facebook posts — one resharing a post by a public commentator and another comparing a song by the cleric to that of another preacher.
He claimed that during interrogation he was pressured to apologise to the pastor, which he said he agreed to do before being released.
However, he alleged that weeks later, on January 13, 2025, a court order was issued committing him and three others to prison “pending investigation.”
Detention, Bail Controversy
Peter stated that he spent 17 days in custody before arraignment and an additional nine days before eventually securing bail on February 7, 2025.
He said the bail conditions included providing a Level 15 civil servant as surety, a landed property, and an affidavit of good behaviour — all of which he insisted were fulfilled.
Despite this, he alleged that Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna later revoked his bail without citing any violations.
The activist further claimed he was re-arrested on July 3, 2025, while working as a Master of Ceremonies at an event in Abuja and was taken away by a group of security operatives.
He questioned the legality of the arrest, alleging that detention documents used to remand him were signed after the magistrate had retired — a development he described as suspicious and potentially criminal.
Additional Allegations
Peter said he spent another 49 days in custody following the bail revocation, bringing his total detention period to 75 days.
He also alleged that individuals claiming to be officers of the Department of State Services visited him in prison over alleged social media activity, despite his devices being confiscated.
In his petition, he accused a religious group of publicly claiming responsibility for his arrest, raising concerns about what he described as the “weaponisation of state institutions.”
Appeal To The President
Peter urged President Tinubu to:
- Order an independent review of the actions of security agencies in his case
- Investigate judicial documents allegedly issued after a magistrate’s retirement
- Prevent religious organisations from influencing security operations
- Safeguard citizens against abuse of state power
He said he had previously written to judicial authorities and national security officials without response.
The activist also disclosed that he petitioned U.S. President Donald Trump through the American Embassy in Abuja, describing his experience as an attack on free speech.
As of the time of this report, neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the cleric mentioned in the petition has publicly responded to the allegations.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments surrounding the case.
