Police Arrest Cross River Car Dealer in Lagos, Says He ‘Bullied’ Governor Otu on Social Media

Men of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a Cross River-born car dealer, Denis Odama, in Lagos over allegations that he bullied Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, on social media.

Odama, a native of Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State, is reportedly pursuing a doctorate degree at a university in Lagos.

According to a report by CrossRiverWatch, Odama was arrested on Sunday, while details surrounding the circumstances of his arrest remained unclear.

His kinsman and fellow businessman, Tom Alims, later raised the alarm over the arrest in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Alims said the Divisional Police Officer of the FESTAC Division in Lagos informed people at the station that Odama was being arrested for allegedly “bullying the Governor of Cross River State, HE, Prince Bassey Edet Otu on Social Media.”

Odama is known for using social media to satirically criticise governance and developments in his home state.

Last weekend, he shared a screenshot of a post he originally made in August 2024, in which he criticised the failure to restore electricity in Bekwarra despite an alleged directive by Governor Otu.

“Two years after Governor Bassey Otu ordered the restoration of electricity in Bekwarra, Bekwarra still wallows in darkness with no electricity in sight. All we hear are blames and counter blames from those given money to fix light,” Odama wrote.

He further alleged that the governor had given money to his associates in Bekwarra under the guise of awarding contracts.

Reacting to the arrest, Alims claimed there were indications that Governor Otu might not have been aware of the development.

“From different quarters, we’re told His Excellency is not aware of this arrest,” he stated.

CrossRiverWatch also reported that two policemen who were said to be from the Cross River State Police Command arrived at the FESTAC Division to take Odama to Calabar.

The development reportedly caused concern among his friends and colleagues, who were present at the station.

According to the report, Odama was due to sit for an examination on Tuesday but could not do so because of his arrest.

Jonathan Ugbal, Deputy National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, described the incident as an “abduction” and called for Odama’s immediate release.

“This is clearly an abduction and nothing more! There is no actual reason stated yet by the Police and it has been 48 hours,” Ugbal said.

He alleged that the Police could be seeking a court order to detain Odama, adding that the development reflected what he described as a pattern of using law enforcement agencies to intimidate critics.

“It is unfortunate that despite the law clearly stating that investigation must precede arrests, we still find the Police being used as a tool for oppressive acts,” he added.

Meanwhile, Alims disclosed on Tuesday night that the two policemen returned to the FESTAC Division to facilitate Odama’s transfer from Lagos to Cross River State.

He said friends and colleagues resisted the move, prompting the DPO to ask the policemen to return on Wednesday morning.

As of Tuesday night, Odama remained at the FESTAC Police Division, with uncertainty surrounding whether he would subsequently be transferred to Cross River State.

The Police have not publicly provided further details on the allegations against the car dealer.