AN election observer with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Jeremiah Oluwaferanmi Omoniyi, who was arrested by the police while monitoring the governorship election in Ekiti State, has been released.
The ICIR gathered that Omoniyi was arrested while observing the election at Ayodele Fayose’s hometown in the Afao/Araromi Ward 1 Unit 1 of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Fayose is a former governor of the state.
Omoniyi is one of the CJID observers accredited for the election.
He was allegedly taken to the Iworoko police station following his arrest.
Spokesman of the Ekiti State Police Command Abuti Sunday told The ICIR that men of the Department of State Services (DSS) rescued Omoniyi from the hands of the mob.
According to the police spokesman the mob wanted to lynch Omoniyi because he was live streaming voting at the polling unit.
“The DSS rescued him from the mob who wanted to lynch him. He was doing live streaming and some of them were giving fake figures,” he said.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M