A Businessman And An Active Cross Riverian Arrested In Lagos For Allegedly Acting Against The State Government .

Denis Odama, a Businessman and active Cross Riverian known for using social media to advocate for good governance and raise concerns about issues affecting the people, has reportedly been arrested in Lagos by police officers allegedly acting on orders of the Cross River State Government.

Reports circulating across the Cross River social media space claimed that two police officers from Cross River State arrived today at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Festac Town, Lagos, under Area E Command, with the intention of taking Odama to Calabar.According to the reports, the officers presented themselves as being from Cross River State and sought to take Odama from the Lagos Police back to the state.The development reportedly took a new dimension after the Divisional Police Officer at the Festac Town station was said to have informed persons on the ground that Odama was being arrested for allegedly “bullying the Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Edet Otu, on social media.”The claim has generated reactions among Cross Riverians, particularly because Odama is known in the state’s online community as a voice that frequently comments on governance, leadership and issues affecting ordinary citizens.His social media activities have largely focused on expressing opinions, raising questions about government policies and advocating for what he considers better governance and accountability in Cross River State.Reacting to the reported arrest, Tom Alims described the development as “sincerely laughable” and said people would be watching to see how the situation unfolds.Alims also suggested that Governor Otu might not have been aware of the alleged arrest, saying information reaching different quarters indicated that the governor had no knowledge of the action.He expressed hope that if the governor was indeed unaware, he would immediately intervene and order Odama’s release.“Some things are unnecessary and this is one,” Alims said.Legal practitioner First Baba Isa also reacted to the development, drawing attention to the alleged reason given by the Festac Town police authorities.According to Isa, the DPO reportedly stated that Odama was arrested for “bullying the Governor of Cross River State, Prince Bassey Edet Otu on Social Media.”Isa further said two police officers from Calabar had arrived in Lagos to take Odama back to Cross River State.The reported development has sparked a wider conversation among Cross Riverians over the treatment of government critics and advocates on social media, particularly where political criticism is involved.Questions have also been raised about whether Odama’s activities amounted to a criminal offence, the specific posts that allegedly led to the action, whether a formal complaint was made against him, and who authorised the reported movement to Lagos.

There has been no independent confirmation so far that Governor Otu personally ordered Odama’s arrest, while the Cross River State Government and the police have yet to publicly provide a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the reported incident.For many Cross Riverians following the matter, the key issue is whether a citizen’s advocacy for good governance and criticism of government officials can be treated as “bullying,” and what legal basis exists for taking a social media critic from Lagos to Cross River State.The situation remains developing, with attention now focused on whether the police or Cross River State Government will issue an official statement clarifying Odama’s reported arrest and the allegations against him.