TWENTY-THREE Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and journalists gathered at the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters on Thursday, May 9, to protest against the continued detention of a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daniel Ojukwu.
The protesters who marched and chanted various solidarity songs also voiced their discontent over the growing cases of attacks on press freedom and the flagrant abuse of due process and the rule of law by the Nigeria Police under the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
Addressing the police, the Action Group on the Protection of Civic Actors’ spokesperson, Bukola Shonibare, said that the continuous silencing of journalists and civic actors who hold power accountable undermined the provisions of Sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of expression, respectively.
According to her, the coordinated use of state resources, the mischievous interpretation and hyper-application of laws, especially the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, which has now been amended, and the abuse of power and public institutions are all draconian tactics deployed to shrink Nigeria’s fragile civic space further.
“Mr Ojukwu’s fundamental human rights have been blatantly violated. Even though the Nigeria Police has filed no formal charges, he remains in custody. Additionally, Daniel’s unlawful arrest and detention contravenes the combined reading and cumulative effect of Sections 34, 35, and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which protects his rights to respect for the dignity of his person, personal liberty, and freedom of movement,” she said.
Also speaking on the issue, Deputy Director, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Busola Ajibola, called for due process to be followed if the journalist is being accused of a crime.
She further said the CSOs and journalists hoped that the police and government could embrace a human rights-oriented approach in their interactions with journalists.
“If you think the journalists have erred on the side of ethics, the right thing to do is to charge them in court, not abduct or detain them for days.
“It is very important for the (President) Bola Tinubu administration to respond to this issue because the image this administration would like us to believe is that they don’t respect the values of democracy, and one of the fundamental anchors of democracy is a free press,” she said.
Ojukwu was abducted by officials of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun on Wednesday, May 1, two days before World Press Freedom Day.
His abduction only became known on Friday, May 3, after spending four days with the police in Lagos State. He was subsequently transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja.
On the orders of the IGP, Ojukwu was transferred by the IRT to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja in the early hours of Sunday, May 5.
On the same day, the police produced a petition showing that his abduction was in connection to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism’s (FIJ) story linking former Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire to corrupt practices.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Jibril Shittu, who was also present at the protest, urged the authorities to allow citizens to engage with their leaders, especially when they have questions about procurement processes or project delivery.
He further noted that the protesters demanded that Ojukwu be released and the rights of journalists and every well-meaning Nigerian be respected.
Continued detention, a calculated act to violate Ojukwu’s rights –Sowore
Speaking on Ojukwu’s detention, human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, said the administrative bail conditions the police had given were more stringent and intentionally aimed at violating his rights.
“We have tried our best to explore the feasible means of getting Daniel released, but we discovered that the police were recalcitrant. This is a calculated act to violate his rights. The highest authorities, particularly the IGP, are involved in the issue.
“That is what we found out. In fact, we met with senior police officers, and they told us to present one surety. We presented the highest official of the NUJ in Abuja, and they said they wanted to verify his property and place of work. Everything was provided, but when they came back in the evening, they said they had now jacked the bail condition to two directors, who are civil servants with landed properties in Abuja.
He condemned the new conditions demanded by the police, adding that not many civil servants living on their salaries could afford landed properties in Abuja.
“Let me explain to you those kinds of bail conditions. You are asking an investigative journalist to present corrupt people as his sureties. I know Nigerians might not think about it, but it is an oxymoron for somebody to ask an investigative journalist to present the corrupt people he has been investigating as his sureties,” Sowore said.
We will release Ojukwu soon –FCT CP
Addressing the protesters, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, called for calm and promised that the journalist would be released soon.
“What we are saying is that the Force is looking into the matter. There is no need for the protest at all because every Nigerian, including Ojukwu, is entitled to his rights and privileges. I am with the DIG Force CID, that’s why I said he would be released. I am assuring you.
“Those who know me know that my word is my bond. So leave this matter, it is being taken care of, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been here,” he said.
Attacks and unlawful detention of journalists have remained a threat to press freedom in Nigeria.
In March 2024, the former editor of Frist News, a media outlet in Nigeria, was abducted from his home in Lagos and flown to Abuja, where he was detained for nearly two weeks by officials of the Nigerian Army.
While his location remained unknown, the leadership of the Nigerian media community searched frantically for him, reaching out to sources within the presidency, the Nigerian Army, and the State Security Service (SSS), who all denied knowing his whereabouts.
Olatunji was later released the following morning after officials of the Defence Intelligence Academy (DIA) handed him over to some journalists by the roadside in Abuja. He is one of many Nigerian journalists who have faced harassment from the government in the line of duty.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M