Amnesty International Calls For Unconditional Release Of FIJ Journalist Detained By Police ‘On IGP's Orders’

Global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has called on the Nigerian police to immediately release Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ). 

 

Amnesty International in a statement on its X platform on Saturday strongly condemned the arrest of Ojukwu.

 

According to the statement; "Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the arrest of Daniel Ojukwu — a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism." 

 

"The Nigeria Police @PoliceNG must immediately release Daniel Ojukwu and end this relentless attack on freedom of the press," the statement added. 

 

SaharaReporters earlier reported how the journalist was taken into custody by the Intelligence Response Team on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. 

 

According to FIJ, Ojukwu is currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti in Lagos State, on offences of alleged cybercrime.

 

FIJ reports that Ojukwu went missing on Wednesday, May 1, with his phone numbers turned off, leaving his whereabouts unknown to colleagues, family, and friends.

 

 

Despite initial efforts by the media organisation to file a missing person report at police stations in the area where Ojukwu was last seen, his location remained undisclosed.

 

However, a breakthrough came when a private detective hired by FIJ managed to trace the last active location of Ojukwu’s phones to an address in Isheri Olofin.

 

The location is believed to be where the police initially picked up his phone.

 

Subsequently, Ojukwu’s family learnt of his detention at Panti, where he was reportedly being accused of violating the 2015 Cybercrime Act.

 

However, attempts to obtain contact details for the Investigating Police Officer, according to FIJ, have been unsuccessful, with authorities citing jurisdictional issues as the case extends beyond Lagos.

 

According to a relative who visited him, the arresting officers belong to the IG Monitoring Team and indicated that once they finish arresting other individuals on their watch list in Lagos, Ojukwu and others will be transferred to Abuja.

Ojukwu has been held incommunicado for three days, with no access to legal representation.

 

The timing of Ojukwu’s abduction coincides with World Press Freedom Day, a day designated by the United Nations to underscore the importance of press freedom and uphold the right to freedom of expression.