Ojukwu, who was detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti in Lagos State, on offences of alleged cybercrime was moved to Abuja on Sunday where he has been in detention.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daniel Ojukwu, who is being detained by the Nigeria Police Force.
CPJ is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organisation, based in New York City, with correspondents around the world. It seeks to promote press freedom and defend the rights of journalists internationally. Since the late 1980s, CPJ has been publishing an annual census of journalists killed or imprisoned in relation to their work.
SaharaReporters had reported how the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun arrested Ojukwu in Lagos on May 1.
Ojukwu, who was detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti in Lagos State, on offences of alleged cybercrime was moved to Abuja on Sunday where he has been in detention.
SaharaReporters also reported on Tuesday that the police refused to release Ojukwu, despite meeting his bail condition following an ‘order from above’.
On May 3, an investigator hired by FIJ found that Ojukwu’s phone had last been active in the Isheri Olofin neighborhood of Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State, and FIJ was informed that the journalist was being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti Street on allegations of violating the Cybercrimes Act, the FIJ reported and Ridwan Oke, a lawyer for the outlet, told CPJ.
Ojukwu was arrested over his November report, which alleged that Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, paid 147 million naira (US$106,154) of government money for school construction into a restaurant’s bank account, according to the FIJ and its founder, Fisayo Soyombo, who spoke to CPJ.
The petition was written by a former National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Muiz Banire (SAN) on behalf of Orelope-Adefulire.
Reacting to Ojukwu’s arrest which was more of abduction, CPJ’s head of Africa program, from New York, Angela Quintal, decried the action of the police against Ojukwu for carrying out his constitutional duty.
Quintal said, “Nigerian authorities must promptly and unconditionally release journalist Daniel Ojukwu and stop harassing and detaining journalists who publish investigative reports into corruption.”
Quintal said, “Just over six weeks ago, more than a dozen armed military men took another journalist, Segun Olatuni, from his home without explanation.
“In this latest case, Daniel Ojukwu was missing for 48 hours before his media outlet discovered that he was in police custody. This is no way to treat journalists who are performing a public service.”
Recently, FirstNews editor Segun Olatunji was arrested and assaulted for days by personnel of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Recounting his ordeal at the hands of the military personnel who kidnapped him, Olatunji said he was first put in a cell where his hands and legs were cuffed.
Gunmen in military uniform kidnapped Olatunji when they invaded his residence at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos state, on March 15.
Speaking at a press briefing organised by the leaderships of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and International Press Institute (IPI), the journalist said he was in chains for about three days.
“At first, they put me in a cell. There I was left with leg and handcuffs. And at a point, one of the officers came and tightened the right leg and the right hand and I was there growing in pain," he narrated. "And they didn’t loosen it until about two or three days after.”
Olatunji said he could “still feel the pains” on his hands and legs.
Justifying his claim that his abductors were close to the government, he said while he was being detained, “they were asking me questions about certain stories that FirstNews had carried".
He added, "They first told me that I was one of those abusing the chief of defence intelligence (Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye). They didn’t say much about that.”
He said they also asked him about a story FirstNews had published about the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu (Mr Femi Gbajabiamila), which he described as a “major thing".
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