Professor of Journalism and Media Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, Akin Jimoh; CEO Diamond Publications Limited, Lanre Idowu and Chairman, Lagos Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adeleye Ajayi, have joined other media professionals to express dissatisfaction over abduction of FirstNews editor, Segun Olatunji.
Olatunji was recently picked up in his Lagos home in Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos. He was said to have been whisked away by armed men, and till date, nothing has been heard of his whereabouts.
In an interview with The Guardian in Lagos, Jimoh said, “in a democratic setting, impunities cannot be allowed to go on. Beyond the general ideals of press freedom anywhere in the word, there could be infractions and if there are infractions, due process must be taken.
“We have passed the era of authoritarianism, where people can be held against their wishes without being charged to court. If it is perceived that an offence has been committed, the best thing is to go through the judicial process. We can no longer tolerate extra judicial action. In any profession, there could be infraction, where there is perceived infraction, you must follow due process.”
On his part, Idowu noted, “if it was confirmed that it was the military that abducted him, then that is a worrisome development and it should be addressed as promptly as possible. If something is found against him, he should be prosecuted in a law court. In a democracy, this raises a lot of concerns. It shows we are not as free as we have hitherto imagined. I will imagine the professional bodies would have shown interest and find out from the authorities if the gentleman is in their custody. It is what is expected of them in their efforts to protect journalists from arbitrary arrests and foster a climate that allows for free practice of the profession.”
To Ajayi, “government and other state agencies should get to the root of the matter. It is also unbelievable this can happen under a democratic setting, for a journalist to be whisked away and his whereabouts unknown.”
