By Enyichukwu Enemanna
An investigative journalist working with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has been released from detention by the Nigerian Police authorities after ten days.
Daniel Ojukwu had missing and his phone numbers switched off, with his whereabouts unknown to colleagues.
He was later discovered to be in the custody of the police after he was accused of violating the country’s Cybercrime Act, which has come under severe criticism as a tool for censorship.
“Daniel Ojukwu, the FIJ reporter who was abducted by men of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police, has regained freedom after 10 days in police captivity,” the FIJ wrote on its website about Ojukwu’s release on Friday.
“Ojukwu went missing on Wednesday, May 1, his numbers switched off and his whereabouts unknown to colleagues, family and friends.”
His arrest and detention in Nigerian capital of Abuja is not unconnected with his report about alleged financial mismanagement of over N147 million ($104,600) involving a senior government official, his employer has alleged.
Ojukwu’s friends, colleagues, and others had staged demonstration, drumming up support for his release.
A coalition of media and civil society groups had on Thursday protested his continued detention at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
While addressing journalists, the spokesperson of the group, Bukky Shonibare, said the recent surge in attacks on press freedom and the silencing of dissenting voices is becoming alarming.
Heritage Times HT recalls that before then, FirstNews editor Segun Olatunji, was abducted from his Lagos home on 15 March by the military and taken to Abuja, where he was held incommunicado.
He regained freedom last Thursday after 14 days in military detention, after which he recounted his ordeal in the hands of his abductors.
Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines