Segun Ajibare, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Nigeria, was arrested in Osogbo, Osun State where he serves, over podcasts questioning the rehabilitation of the collapsed Moro Bridge in Kwara State.
He was arrested and detained on Wednesday 13 May 2026, by a joint team from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Ajibare, also known as “Ajibare Talks” on social media, was arrested in connection with online commentaries and podcasts questioning the collapse and purported rehabilitation of the Moro Bridge in Kwara State, which was reported to have cost ₦1.2 billion.
In one podcast, posted on 4 May 2026, titled “Moro Bridge collapse: Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s 2024 rehab under Abdulquawiy Olododo now questioned, ₦27m vs ₦1.2bn, Kwarans demand full transparency”, he highlighted alleged discrepancies in the project’s cost and quality and urged public officials to ensure greater transparency.
Earlier podcasts had raised concerns about the condition of the bridge and questioned claims that it had undergone rehabilitation in 2024.
Shortly after he was apprehended, Ajibare was reportedly transferred to Ilorin, Kwara State, and detained at the Oke-Kura Correctional Centre.
Reports indicate that Ajibare told associates the operatives claimed they were acting on the orders of Abdulquawiy Olododo, a former Commissioner for Works in Kwara State and now an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the House of Representatives.
As of June 10, 2026, there had been no public indication that Ajibare had been formally charged or brought before a court, raising concerns about arbitrary detention and due process.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the arrest and detention of podcaster Segun Ajibare, which it considers a misuse of state power to suppress legitimate public scrutiny. Such actions can have a chilling effect on freedom of expression, intimidating journalists, activists and ordinary citizens, and discouraging them from speaking out on matters of public interest for fear of similar reprisals.
The MFWA urges the Nigerian authorities to respect Ajibare’s rights to freedom of expression and due process, and calls for his immediate release if he has not been charged with a recognisable criminal offence. The MFWA also calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention.
