Police arrest journalist for report against ex-CBN gov's firm

Date: 2019-10-30

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a journalist with NewsDigest, Adebowale Adekoya, over a report which seemed to be targeted against a company owned by a former acting governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Sarah Alade.

According to PRNigeria, the report titled, 'Inside Kwara factory where Indian hemp smoking is legalised', centred on Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industry, one of the group of companies owned by Mrs Alade.

It was however learnt that Adekoya was not the author of the story but another reporter with the outfit.

Adekoya was arrested in Ikorodu, Lagos while going home and whisked away to Ilorin, Kwara State.

The story was published by NewsDigest in May, 2018.

In the report, it was stated that Hillcrest Agro-Alied Industry tolerated the smoking of cigarettes as well as Indian hemp by workers within its vicinity.

The NewsDigest's investigative journalist, in his report, further disclosed that workers smoked Indian hemp at will without being sanctioned.

It was also reported that the firm refused to respond to author's inquiry on the disturbing situation, after he had put several calls and text messages to the industry's hot line.

Lawyer to Adekoya, Yunus Abdulsalam, told The PUNCH that he had not had access to his client since his arrest.

Abdulsalam lamented that his client was arrested for another person's alleged act, adding that this was unlawful.

He said, "He is still in detention and efforts are on to secure his release. They have not even stated his crime because we haven't been granted access to him but the information we got was that he was arrested over a report in NewsDigest in 2018.

"He was not even the author of the report. That is the strange aspect of the entire saga. Nigerian law prohibits arrest by substitution."

Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer in Kwara State, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, said the journalist would be taken to Abuja as part of investigations.

Okasanmi said, "The case is being investigated. It is a case of defamation of character. The character of a person was defamed. He was arrested and taken to Kwara. He will also be taken to Abuja as part of investigation.

"There is an element of criminality in the allegations. It is not just defamation alone. By Wednesday, we will have more information."

Reacting to the arrest, Gidado Yushau, Editor of NewsDigest, expressed shock over the arrest of his online newspaper's webmaster, describing the police's action as an "unbridled illegality."

The police have in the last one year arrested several journalists for alleged defamation, a move which has been criticised by Amnesty International and other rights groups.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Lukman Adeloyin     Moshood Mustapha     Kale Ayo     Aliyu Muhammed     Gobir     Titus Suberu-Ajibola     Hassan Abdulazeez Elewu     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     AGILE Programme     Majlis For Sadakah, Zakat And Waqf     SARS     Ayobola Ipinlaiye     Olaiya Zuberu     Ayo Adeyemi     Millennium Development Goals     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Sarah Alade     Omotosho     Kwara State Government     A.E. Afolabi     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Peculiar Allowance     AGM Professional Services     Alore     Bello John Olanrewaju     Adebayo Salami     Folashade Omoniyi     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Code Of Conduct Bureau     Chemiroy Nigeria Limited     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Abdulmajeed Wahab     Yusuf Aiyedun     Galadiman Ngeri     Wahab Issa     Orisa Bridge     Shehu Raheem Adaramaja     Share/Tsaragi     TIC     Lanre Badmas     Osi     Amusa Bello     Metro Park     Zaratu Umar     Ibrahim Labaika     Elesie Of Esie     JSSCE     Centre For Digital Economy     Standard Organization Of Nigeria     James Ayeni     Firdaos Amasa     Plat Technologies     TETFUND     Bukola Saraki     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     Ilorin South Constituency     Tinubu Legacy Forum     AbdulRahman Saad     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Mashood Dauda     Patience Jonathan     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     Ishaq Oloyede     Magaji Erubu     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Afonja Descendants Union     Ebola     Mufutau Olatinwo     Kuliyan Geri     Ilorin West     Ayinke Saka     Kayode Ibrahim     UNIFEMGA     Lanre Issa-Onilu     Salihu S. Yaru     Hassan Saliu    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Olatunde Oyeyiola     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Bolaji Abdullahi     Adewuyi Funmilayo     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Aishat Sulu-Gambari     Shehu Raheem Adaramaja     Isiaka Rafiu Mope     Congress For National Consensus     Kwara 2019     Tanke     Moses Salami     Kulende-UITH     Olayinka Olaogun     Guber Aspirant     Awwal Jawondo     Kannike     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Trader Moni     IHS Towers     IHS     Muhammed Danjuma     Alore     NIPR     KWSUED     Shuaib Olarongbe     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Toyin Olayinka Tejidini     Ope Saraki     COVID-19 Palliatives     Sheikh Alimi     Kwara TV     Ajuloopin     Noah Yusuf     Kamaldeen Gambari     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Mahfouz Adedimeji     Ronke Adeyemi     Alao Ayotunde     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Moshood Mustapha     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Ophthalmological Society Of Nigeria     NITDA     Gbemi Saraki     Oniwa     TETFUND     Lukman Adeloyin     Azeez Bello     Park     Agbarigidoma     Fulani     Yeketi     Olushola Saraki     Abdulmutalib Shittu     Jawondo     Asa     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     IDPU     Col. Taiwo     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     Bio Ibrahim     Lola Ashiru     Alfa Modibo Belgore     Toyin Abdullahi     Bibire Ajape     Idowu Laro     Kwara 2023     Taiwo Joseph     Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu     Baboko     Face Masks     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi