Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the mode of arrest of its member, Rowland Olonishuwa, who was forcefully taken away from his residence along Asa-Dam Road, Ilorin on Wednesday by detectives of the Special Fraud Unit of the Police from Lagos State.
A statement signed by the union’s secretary, Olayinka Alaya, said Olonisuwa’s arrest was connected to a recent story published on some online news platforms.
The statement reads,” Upon receiving the report of the incident yesterday (Wednesday) morning, the leadership of the Kwara NUJ council immediately swung into action, reaching out to the Kwara State Police Command to inquire about the arrest. In a conversation with the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, it was confirmed that the Kwara State Police Command was unaware of the operation and had not been informed of any planned activities involving officers from Lagos.
“The Kwara NUJ council finds this situation deeply troubling, as the secretive nature of the arrest violates proper legal and procedural norms. Arresting a journalist without prior notification or collaboration with the State Police Command not only raises concerns about the respect for due process but also lends credence to a disturbing trend of intimidation toward members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
“ In response to this development, the Kwara NUJ Council yesterday (Wednesday) morning informed the leadership of the Lagos State NUJ Council, seeking their immediate intervention. A call for the swift release of Mr Olonishuwa has been issued, along with a demand for an explanation regarding the involvement of Lagos-based security operatives in an arrest conducted far outside their jurisdiction. The Council has also flagged reports of similar arrests in Lagos and Abeokuta involving other publishers, raising concerns about a coordinated crackdown on press freedom.”
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