8th May 2024
Pro-democracy activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the ‘unjust’ detention of a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu.
Sowore lamented the refusal of the Nigerian Police to release Ojucku despite meeting all the bail conditions.
He mentioned that he, alongside his team had been in Abuja to get the reporter out of police custody.
“We’ve spent the last two days in Abuja to get Daniel Ojukwu of @fijnigeria bailed out from unjust incarceration, meeting police officers in their offices,” the activist wrote on X on Tuesday.
He said there is a breakdown in the command structure of the police force, noting that some junior officers with influential connections have considerable power surpassing their superiors.
He also expressed disappointment in the apparent reluctance of the police force to embrace reform, despite the aftermath of the #ENDSARS movement.
Sowore also accused the authorities of regressing and disregarding the law and prioritising allegiance to the political elite over upholding the rights of Nigerian citizens.
He wrote, “A few things are clear, there is a breakdown in the @PoliceNG command structure; we met junior officers who are more potent and powerful than their bosses based on their connections; also, we noted that the @policeng is not interested in reforms
“#Endsars scarred them but they are rolling back the gains more fiercely than ever, even when they’re clearly breaking the laws of the land, they’d rather die for crumbs from the corrupt political class than honour the rights of Nigerians.”
Furthermore, the activist accused the police of seeking to control media narratives.
He added that senior officers informed them that the Inspector General of Police and his associates were hindering Ojukwu’s release.
“Finally, they hate serious journalism with passion and are hell-bent on creating a media landscape that dances to their whims and caprices.
“After two days of being tossed around, senior officers told us the IGP and his boys wouldn’t let us release this boy, Daniel, that was after a surety we provided had met their bail conditions. #RevolutionNow,” he added.
Ojukwu was said to have been abducted by men of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police.
He was said to have gone missing last Wednesday and was unreachable as his numbers were switched off and his whereabouts was unknown to colleagues, family and friends.
However, this prompted FIJ to make a missing person report at police stations in the area where Ojukwu was headed.
His family later learned of his detention at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos and understood that authorities were accusing him of violating the 2015 Cybercrime Act.
A relative who visited him told FIJ that the authorities refused to provide contact details of the Investigating Police Officer on jurisdictional grounds as the case was beyond Lagos.
Meanwhile, on Monday the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed that Ojukwu, who was picked up Wednesday, May 1, 2024, was transferred to the NPF-NCC Centre in Abuja on Sunday.
The police claimed that a petition was filed against the journalist but had not given details of the petition.
But FIJ on Monday reported that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was behind the petition that led to the abduction of Ojukwu by the police.
The petition is in relation to FIJ’s coverage of alleged financial mismanagement in the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, according to the media house.
Ojukwu’s arrest has sparked outrage from activists, media stakeholders and other Nigerians calling for his release.
On Monday morning, Sowore, along with human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju and Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Correspondents’ Chapel, Jide Oyekunle, visited the facility to secure Ojukwu’s release.
The Deputy Director of NPF NCCC, DCP Usman Imam, confirmed that the bail conditions were strict and beyond his authority.
However, with the help of various individuals, the bail conditions were modified and fulfilled on Tuesday.
Upon arrival at the facility, a female investigating officer informed them that there was a fresh order from above to revert to the initial bail condition of two directors.
The order, however, frustrated efforts to secure Ojukwu’s release and has kept him in detention.
