Yemisi Izuora
The International Press Centre in Lagos has said it is outraged by the detention of Premium Times Security Sector Reporter, Samuel Ogundipe, as well as the harassment of the newspaper’s Editor-In-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, and Education Reporter, Azeezat Adedigba, on Tuesday.
While Mojeed and Adedigba were released after being arrested, detained and harassed, Ogundipe was still being held as at press time.
In the statement, IPC said it is particularly dismayed that the Police authorities want Ogundipe to disclose the source of information over a story published by the newspaper on a correspondence between the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on the dismissed Director General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura.
Daura was dismissed and ordered arrested last week by Osinbajo for authorising the deployment of DSS operatives to the National Assembly.
In the statement by its Director, Lanre Arogundade, the IPC said: “This, to us, is a clear assault on press freedom and a clear threat to the safety of the detained journalist and his colleagues.
“The Police Authorities are also hereby reminded that the Freedom of Information Act, a federal law, enacted in 2011, in Section 16 subsection C confers on the media ‘Journalism Confidentiality Privileges’ and as such should desist from engaging in unconstitutional acts.
“We condemn the arrests and detention of the concerned journalists and hereby demand the immediate release of Mr. Ogundipe.”