Court adjourns Kogi govt’s cybercrime case against Okai to November 16

The Kogi State High Court in Lokoja has postponed the cybercrime case initiated by the Kogi State Government against human rights activist Austin Okai until November 16, 2026, to allow for the cross-examination of the prosecution’s primary witness. The case stems from accusations made by Okai on social media that the Kogi State Government had misappropriated ₦13.4 billion intended for local governments.

At the hearing, Justice A.S. Ibrahim announced the arrival of the prosecution’s star witness, Dr. Folashade Arike Ayoade, the Secretary to the Kogi State Government. The defense counsel initially requested a 30-minute delay for the lead defense counsel to attend to another matter, but this request was rejected by the prosecution, which claimed Ayoade had an urgent official engagement.

Okai, who had previously been arrested and charged with financial misconduct, affirmed under oath that the evidence she would provide would be truthful. Ayoade disclosed that she received complaints about the misallocation of funds from friends and residents, and that the matter was discussed at a State Executive Council meeting led by Governor Usman Ododo.

She testified that the funds in question were allocated to the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACRESAL, project, amounting to $2.25 million. The court agreed to proceed with the cross-examination of Ayoade on November 16, 2026, after both sides agreed to the new date.