Nigeria, Nov. 11 -- The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday rejected a police request for a bench warrant against 'Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), over a case in which he and another journalist are charged with cyberstalking and criminal defamation.

The prosecution asked the court to issue the warrant, telling Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that it had been unable to serve Mr Soyombo with court processes.

But the judge declined, saying Mr Soyombo, charged alongside an FIJ journalist Daniel Ojukwu, had yet to be produced before her to be able to exercise such powers over him.

PREMIUM TIMES reported Tuesday that Mr Ojukwu, who had been detained on honouring police invitation, was produced before...