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.

Olayinka Are     Illyasu Abdullahi     Dankaka     Abubakar Baba     Ayinde Oki     Salihu Jibril Garbi     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Saadatu Modibbo-Kawu     Christopher Ayeni     Ahmad Ali     Forgo Battery     Clara Nwachukwu     Sunday Fagbemi     Oniwa     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Paul Odama     Erubu     Bilikisu Oniyangi     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station     Ramadhan     Adekunle David Dunmade     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Gbemisola Saraki     Al-Adaby     Olupako Of Share     Turaki     Aminu Adisa Logun     Usman Rifun     Ita-Ore     ITEM 7     Joshua Adeyemi Adimula     Noah Yusuf     MMWG     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Omu Aran     Obuh     NYSC     3MTT     Ambassador Kayode Laro     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Isin     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Umar Gunu     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Minister     Ayegbeni     Susan Modupe Oluwole     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     Buhari     Amusement Park     Orisa Bridge     SDP     COEASU     Maryam Ado Bayero     Share/Tsaragi     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Theophilus Oyebiyi     Olabode George Towoju     Olupako     SAPZ Project     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Offorjama     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Gamji Members Association     Bankole Omishore     Tosin Saraki     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Tunde Yusuf     Lafiagi     HAMFAT Clinic And Maternity     Ilorin West     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Yusuf Aiyedun     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Elections     Share/Tsaragi     Elese Of Igbaja     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Rotimi Oyedepo     Eghe Igbinehi     Eleja     Razaq Atunwa     Pilgrims Board     Oba David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Farouk Salim     Hassan A. Saliu     Iyabo Adewuyi     Toyin Saraki     The Herald     Lai Mohammed     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     KWSIEC     Nurudeen Muhammed     Lanre Aremu     Salihu S. Yaru     Saeedat Aliyu     Na\'Allah     Dan Iya Of Ilorin     Saheed Akinwumi     Oba Abu     Bola Ahmed Tinubu     Col. Adedipe     Tunde Saad     Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi     Idris Garba     Shuaib Boni Aliyu     S.O. Opowoye     Adeniyi Ojo     Vasolar Consultoria     Yoruba     Owode Market     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Ilesha-Baruba     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Haleeman Salman     Taofik Mustapha     Galland Marcias     Eghe Igbinehin     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Naira Redesign     Kwara TV     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Oyawoye     Tayo Awodiji     Salami Adekunle     Saad Belgore     Yusuf Mubarak     Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund     FERMA     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     Edu     Abraham Ojo     Ilorin West     Muslim Cementary     Yakubu Gobir     Amusa Bello     Aliyu Salihu     Government High School Adeta     Toyin Sanusi     Yinka Aluko     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Cornelius Adebayo     Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu     Afetu Of Alabe     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Fatimat Saliu