Lagos Whistleblower Finally Freed—12 Days After Meeting Bail in Corruption Case

Ganiyu Olamiji Oyebanjo, the Special Adviser on Boundary Matters for Kosofe Local Government, has been released from Ikoyi Prison. His release comes 12 days after fulfilling all the bail conditions set by a Lagos Magistrate Court.

“He has been released. The magistrate signed the release order yesterday. It was the magistrate who went to pick up the registrar to type the documents at her house,” a source informed SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters had previously reported that Chief Magistrate Olanrewaju Olatunji had deliberately delayed signing Oyebanjo’s bail documents, which resulted in his continued detention. A source had stated, “The magistrate refused to sign the bail documents on Friday, citing that the court had closed for the day, even though the documents were presented just minutes after 3 PM.”

The magistrate imposed strict bail conditions, requiring the whistleblower to present two sureties. One surety needed to be a landed property owner with a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in Lagos, while the other had to have a minimum of ₦5 million available in their bank account. Although Oyebanjo met these conditions, he remained in custody due to the magistrate’s unavailability. Further inquiries revealed that the magistrate does not attend court on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Attempts by Oyebanjo’s brother to secure his release at the Tinubu Magistrate Court on Monday were unsuccessful, as he was informed that the magistrate was unavailable and would also not be present on Tuesday.

According to another source, the magistrate signed the release documents on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, and alleged that SaharaReporters had engaged in blackmail against him. “He finally signed it after 12 days; he claimed that the news story from SaharaReporters and a blog had been shared on their magistrate WhatsApp group, which was embarrassing,” the source reported. “Imagine, this man claimed he doesn’t come to court on Mondays and Tuesdays, yet he showed up today, Tuesday, to sign the documents.”

Oyebanjo had previously filed a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ogunlewe and several council supervisors of misappropriating billions of naira. Following the petition, the council chairman and other officials were summoned and interrogated for hours at the ICPC office on 10 Okotie Eboh Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Before his arrest, Oyebanjo told SaharaReporters that these officials were implicated in corruption, embezzlement, and inflating contracts worth billions of naira. He stated, “Their invitation and subsequent interrogation, which lasted for hours, followed a petition I submitted to the anti-corruption agency on October 23, 2024, along with classified documents from the local government that were in my possession.

“In my petition titled ‘Petition against Barr. Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government (aka the White Lion) and other local government co-travelers over corruption, criminal breach of trust, unlawful enrichment, inflation of contracts, misappropriation of public funds, forgery, manipulation, distortion, and doctoring of executive committee minutes, and threats to life,’ I leveled allegations against the executive chairman for awarding contracts without following due process, engaging in illegal self-enrichment, and acquiring multiple properties shortly after becoming chairman of the council.

“I urged the anti-graft Commission to request the Assets Declaration Forms from the Code of Conduct Bureau, which the chairman filled out before taking office, as well as details of the assets he has since acquired.

“Part of the ICPC’s investigation included inviting me to their Lagos office on February 25, 2025, where I was interrogated, wrote a statement, and provided additional information. Two days after I visited the ICPC office, Moyosore Ogunlewe, and the Secretary to the Local Government, Fatai Gbadebo, were also invited and questioned about the corruption allegations.

“I have reason to believe that the ICPC has not concluded its investigation into the allegations against the council chairman. However, the executive committee members, who, to my knowledge, had been invited to appear before the ICPC, have not honored the invitation and have yet to be interrogated.

“The executive members are key witnesses in the misdeeds committed by the council chairman, and their interrogation by the ICPC will be crucial in clarifying the allegations. However, I have reliably gathered that since returning from the ICPC office in Lagos, the executive chairman has been making frantic efforts to obstruct the invitations sent to the executive members and council staff, and he has also promised to pay each of them a substantial sum of money to provide false accounts.”