By Ken Afor
A Nigerian journalist and staff member of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ, Mr. Daniel Ojukwu, who was detained by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police over alleged cyber law crime has been released.
FIJ disclosed on its website that Ojukwu was released on Friday after spending 10 days in police custody.
It would be recalled that Ojukwu has reportedly been missing since last Wednesday, with his phone switched off and his whereabouts unknown to colleagues, family, and friends. Twenty-four hours later, FIJ filed a missing person report at police stations in the vicinity where Ojukwu was last known to have been headed.
In an attempt to locate his whereabouts, FIJ hired the services of a private detective who traced the last active location of Ojukwu’s phone to an address in Isheri Olofin area of Lagos State. Based on the information provided by the detective, the organization believes this location was where the police initially apprehended him.
Subsequently, Ojukwu’s family became aware of his detention at Panti, where they were informed by authorities that he was being accused of violating the 2015 Cybercrime Act.
However, on Sunday morning, the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police reportedly transferred the journalist to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja. The police allegedly imposed strict bail conditions on FIJ’s legal representatives and negotiators, including Omoyele Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters; Jide Oyekunle, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Correspondent’s Chapel; and Bukky Shonibare, chairman of FIJ’s Board of Trustees.
Following a protest march by civil society organizations at the Force Headquarters in Abuja demanding his release, the police announced on Thursday that he would be released, which eventually occurred on Friday.
Mr. Abimbola Ojenike, Managing Partner of Slingstone LP, FIJ’s attorney described Ojukwu’s detention as a gross violation of his human rights.
Ojenike added that the constitutional right to freedom of speech is dead if journalists can no longer expose the activities of government officials without fear.
He said: “Daniel Ojukwu’s case is one of the most egregious cases of human rights violation and misuse of the powers of the Police against journalists.”
“This will not go unchallenged. There’s a significant public interest in Daniel’s human rights enforcement action that goes beyond just this violation. The constitutional right to free speech is dead if journalists can no longer expose the malfeasance in government officials without fear or oppression.”
It would be recalled that on 15 March, another Nigerian journalist, Mr. Segun Olatunji, the editor of FirstNews, was reportedly abducted by armed men, two of whom were in military uniforms, from his home in the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area in Lagos.
He was said to have been abducted following the publication of a story by FirstNews titled “Revealed: Defence Chief running office like family business”.
Olatunji was later released on 28 March by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
