By Our Correspondent
LAGOS, – The International Press Centre (IPC), through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has condemned the arrest and detention of Mr. Olalekan Akindoju, Secretary of the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Osogbo.
According to a statement issued by the IPC-SPJ Hub on Friday, Akindoju was arrested at his residence in Osogbo in the early hours of Thursday, June 11, and detained for nearly five hours before being released following interventions by colleagues and the NUJ.
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Speaking with the Press Freedom Officer of the IPC-SPJ Hub, Akindoju said the incident occurred around 6 a.m. when police officers stormed his residence, arrested him, and confiscated his mobile phone without providing any explanation.
“They invaded my residence this morning around 6 a.m., arrested me and seized my phone without any valid explanation. All attempts to identify myself as a journalist failed, as they refused to listen to me or allow me to contact anyone,” he said.
Akindoju added that after several hours in detention, the police informed him that the arrest resulted from a case of mistaken identity.
Reacting to the development, IPC Executive Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, described the incident as unacceptable and urged law enforcement agencies to exercise greater caution in carrying out arrests.
“This incident is highly condemnable. The police must conduct proper due diligence in gathering intelligence and verifying information before making arrests, especially when journalists are involved,” Arogundade said.
The SPJ Hub reiterated the need to protect press freedom and end all forms of harassment, intimidation, and unlawful arrests of journalists in Nigeria.
The organisation also called on the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Ibrahim Gotan, to issue an official apology to Akindoju and ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
According to the IPC-SPJ Hub, officers responsible for the unlawful detention should be held accountable to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The statement was signed by Melody Akinjiyan on behalf of the IPC-SPJ Hub.
