Di Nigerian National Committee of di International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) don threaten to put di name of di Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, for dia book of pipo wey be enemies of media and journalists. Dis one na because dem kidnap and detain one journalist wey dey work with Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Oga Daniel Ojukwu.
Dis mata dey happen as di Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) don talk say press freedom dey important for di kontri, as journalism dey play ogbonge role to make sure say di environment dey protected and to hold pipo accountable.
Na di Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of di IG kidnap Ojukwu and dem dey hold am for State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti for Lagos.
For statement wey di President of IPI Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, and dia Legal Adviser/Chairman of di Advocacy Committee, Tobi Soniyi, release yesterday, dem condemn di kidnapping well-well and tell di IG to order make dem release Ojukwu.
Di group say dem dey worry about how journalists dey safe for di kontri, as di tori of how dem take kidnap di journalist dey come out wen di world dey celebrate press freedom.
IPI say make dem release Ojukwu sharp sharp or else, dem go put di IG name, Egbetokun, for dia book of pipo wey be enemies of media and journalists.
Dem warn say if dem put di IG name for dat list, e go get serious wahala wey pass Nigeria.
IPI Nigeria talk say di way dem take kidnap Ojukwu follow di same pattern wen some weeks ago, di Nigerian military kidnap anoda journalist, Oga Segun Olatunji, like Gestapo for Lagos and fly am go Abuja for condition wey dey shame am and no follow im right to respect and expression.
“With di two tins wey we don talk, e don show say di goment of President Bola Tinubu no just dey support make dem take freedom of press do anyhow, but dem dey even encourage am, and dis one no follow wetin di president promise for im inauguration speech say im goment go respect human rights,” na so IPI Nigeria tok.
Dem say wetin di IG do show say im dey misuse im power and office.
IPI Nigeria call on President Tinubu to punish di IG because im no lead by example, as nobody dey above di law.
“Human rights abuse neva stop because dem no dey punish pipo wey dey do am. Time don reach to begin hold dose pipo wey dey stop freedom of expression responsible,” na wetin di statement tok.
Dem say Ojukwu miss since last Wednesday and im phone dey switched off and dem no know where im dey.
Twenty-four hours afta im miss, FIJ report for police station for di area wey Ojukwu bin dey go.
Luckily, one private detective wey FIJ hire come trace di last place wey Ojukwu phone dey active go one address for Isheri Olofin.
To confam say Ojukwu still dey police hand, one lawyer, Ridwan Oke, wey dey tweet as @Ridwanullahii, yesterday talk say im see Ojukwu for SCID, Panti, Lagos.
As im dey talk about im experience for SCID, Oke say di Nigerian police system no send di fundamental rights of citizens at all.
Im blame di judicial system say dem dey grant remand without to reason di rights of citizens well.
“Di Nigerian Police no fit change and dis one no good for law enforcement agency at all. @Mazi_OJD na journalist. If im do something wey law no allow, make dem carry am go court, no be to just hold am and no charge am at all. Free Daniel now!” na wetin im add put.
Wetin dey happen to Ojukwu and Olatunji dey bring memory of di bad-bad days of late military oga, Gen. Sani Abacha wen security pipo bin dey disturb media houses and practitioners anyhow.
But di Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Friday say no journalist for di kontri dey detention since im oga, President Bola Tinubu become president on May 29, 2023.
Idris talk dis one on Friday for one press briefing wey im ministry do with Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management and di United Nations Educational and Scientific Organisation to celebrate 2024 World Press Freedom Day.
But apart from wetin dey happen to Ojukwu and Olatunji, plenti oda journalists like Kasarahchi Aniagolu of The Whistler Newspaper; Achadu Gabriel of Daybreak Newspaper; Godwin Tsa of The Sun Newspaper; Precious Eze wey be online publisher and journalist; Salihu Ayatullahi and Adisa-Jaji Azeez wey be Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of Informant247; Abdulrazaq Babatunde wey be Publisher of Just Events Online; and Lukman Bolakale wey be Publisher of Satcom Media, and odas don chop kidnap or detention since President Tinubu enta power.
