It is nearly a month now that Daniel Ekiugbo, a journalist and publisher of Ughelli Times was picked up from his home in Ughelli by some security agents from the Department of State Security (DSS) and whisked away to the state headquarters of the agency. Since then, no official statement has been made as to his crime and all effort by members of his family and co-publishers to reach to him has been denied by the state security outfit.
The association of local publishers in Delta State in a statement has called on the DSS to, as a matter of compliance with Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), charge Mr. Daniel Ekiugbo to court and given fair hearing if he has committed any crime.
His family members, wife and children who solely depend on the incarcerated journalist for their livelihood have been facing hard times and are also urging the security agency to charge their benefactor to court or release him as soon as possible.
The publishers association also urged the Inspector General of Police to intervene in the interest of justice to charge Ekiugbo to court or release him, adding that the excuse being offered by men and officers of the department to the effect that they were still carrying out their investigation, is gradually eroding the peoples’ confidence in justice as investigation cannot continue for ever while Daniel Ekiugbo is languishing in detention in DSS facilities.
