Controversial Nigerian content creator and TikTok personality, Ademola Abiodun, widely known as DJ Chicken, has regained his freedom from detention after fulfilling the bail conditions set by a Lagos Magistrate Court. His release was confirmed on Tuesday, July 21, by his lawyer, Rotimi Stephen, via an Instagram Story. Stephen also shared a video appealing to DJ Chicken to refrain from making any comments about the case as it remains before the court.
Sowore confirms release
Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, also announced the release in a post on X, stating that DJ Chicken had reunited with his family, friends, and loved ones. The development brings a temporary halt to the legal ordeal that began with DJ Chicken's arrest over a controversial video.
DJ Chicken was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre last Friday after being arraigned before a Magistrate Court in the Ogba area of Lagos State. He faced charges related to an alleged threat to kill Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu. The incident stemmed from a video in which DJ Chicken stated that President Tinubu must not seek re-election, or else his son, Seyi, would be killed. Following public criticism, he retracted the statement.
Arrest and charges
He was later arrested for the comment and arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on alleged violations of the Cybercrimes Act, breach of peace, and making threats to kill. When the charges were read to him, he pleaded not guilty. The court granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate ordered that one of the sureties must be a civil servant, while the other must be a community leader with landed property in Lagos State. Additionally, both sureties were required to provide three years' tax clearance certificates, utility bills, National Identification Number details, and Lagos State Residents Registration Agency registration. One of the sureties was also ordered to be a blood relative of the defendant.
Court adjourned to 2026
The court adjourned the case until August 3, 2026, while ordering that DJ Chicken remain in custody pending fulfillment of his bail conditions. With the conditions now met, DJ Chicken has been released to await the next court date. His lawyer's video appeal underscores the sensitivity of the case, urging his client to avoid any public statements that could jeopardize the legal proceedings.
