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.

Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     AGF Abdulrazaq     Joseph Offorjama     Daud Adeshola     Bond     Ronke Adeyemi     General Hospital, Offa     Yoruba     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Tunde Kazeem     Gbemisola Saraki     Mustapha Akanbi     AbdulRazaq Abubakar Jiddah     Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development     KFA     Shaaba Lafiagi     Kwara 2015     Kwara State University Of Education     Susan Modupe Oluwole     Sidikat Akaje     Kale Bayero     Ayobami Akanbi     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Emir Of Shonga     Just Event Online     Eleyele     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     Hamidu Olowo     Osuwa     Jare Olatundun     Ahmed Mohammed Rifun     MATTA Girls Foundation     Durosinlohun Kawu     April 11     New Model Police Station     Folashade Omoniyi     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Nurudeen Mohammed     GAMA     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Government High School Adeta     Yusuf Mubarak     Jide Ashonibare     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Abdulazeez Arowona     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Akanbi-Oke     Elekoyangan     Isiaka Oniwa     Shola Odetundun     Azeez Bello     Kola Shittu     Monkey Pox     MalHub     Alliance For Democracy     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Saba Jibril     Idiagbon     Owo Isowo     Oyelere Oyinloye     Sa\'ad Alanamu     Tuesday Assayomo     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     Musibau Akanji     Fulani     John Olajide Adedipe     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Shuaibu Yaman     Fatai Garuba Labaka     Lukman Adeloyin     Eghe Igbinehi     Usman Alkali Baba     Risikat Lawal     Alikinla     Salake    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Shuaib Boni Aliyu     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Emir Of Yashikira     AbdulGafar Tosho     Dan Masanin     Erin-ile     ANCOPPS     Raymond Olaitan     April 11     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Kwara State Governor     Olusegun Adeniyi     Ebola     Yusuf Amuda Gobir     Salau Kabiru Abdullahi     Adebara     Ayinke Saka     Oja-Oba     Moses Salami     Baruten     Trader Moni     Olayinka Olaogun     Amos Bajeh     Ilorin East     Transition Implementation Committee     NURTW     Oni Adebayo     Aishat Mohammed Lawal     Ahmed \'Lateef     Abdulwahab Olarewaju Issa     George Innih     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Hassan Oyeleke     Abdulwaheed Musa     Muyideen Ajani Bello     Bayo Onimago     Wahab Femi Agbaje     Muslim Stakeholders Of Kwara State     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Sabi     Yakubu Danladi     Oke-Odo     Garba Ayodele Wahab     Unicontinental Construction Company     Abubakar Imam     Isiaka Alikinla     Al-Ilory     Adesoye College     Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege     Kwarareports.com     Suleman Abubakar     Ibrahim Bio     Frootify     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Rafiu Olasile     Mashood Dauda     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Hakeem Lawal     CLAY POT     Sidikat Akaje     Ridwan Agboola     Yoonus Lawal     National Information Technology Development Agency     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     United Nigeria Congress Party     Federal Allocation     Oyun     Halidu Danbaba     Ahmed Idris Mohammed     Nigerian Correctional Service     Kwara Consultative Forum     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Bello Taoheed Abubakar     Ilorin Innovation Hub