Police summon three journalists

Managing Editor, Alimosho Today, Ayomide Eweje, a former reporter with the news organisation, Wisdom Okezie, and the Publisher, Oluwamodupe Akinola have been asked by the Nigeria Police to report to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Zone 2 Command in Onikan, Lagos, tomorrow, August 27, 2024, to facilitate an undisclosed investigation.

The invitation came less than 48 hours after the State Security Service (SSS) detained Nigerian journalist, Adejuwon Soyinka.

The three were invited through separate letters dated August 22, 2024, signed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Martin Nwogoh, on behalf of the AIG in charge of Zone 2 headquarters of the Nigeria Police, claiming that the office was investigating a matter reported to the AIG without stating who reported the matter or what information was required from those being invited to enable them to prepare adequately.

The deputy police commissioner asked Ms Eweje, Mr. Okezie and Mr. Akinola to report to the officer in charge of the Zonal Monitoring Unit, stressing that “this is a fact-finding exercise in the interest of justice and fairness.”

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Reacting to the invitation, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) condemned the alleged harassment and intimidation of journalists.

It says the recent incidents of abductions, arbitrary arrests, detention and other forms of attacks against media professionals by security and law enforcement agencies have reached alarming levels and are posing a grave danger to media freedom and democracy in Nigeria.

In a statement issued in Lagos by the Head of its Legal Department, Obioma Okonkwo, MRA said the failure of the Police to provide details in the letter of invitation was an ambush, adding that it had identified a pattern in numerous such invitations by the Police designed to lure journalists to the police station only to detain them when they report in response to the supposed invitation.

It said that it was curious that the Police had become the weapon of choice for public officials and other rich or powerful individuals seeking to silence and punish journalists who publish negative reports about them.

Okonkwo called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to put measures in place to stop the obvious abuse of Police powers.