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.

Isiaka Yusuf     Mary Arinde     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Olokoba     Firdaos Amasa     Lanre Issa Onilu     Ibrahim Taiwo     Paul Odama     Shao     Amos Bajeh     Lola Olabayo     Ojo Isekuse     Ishola Balogun Fulani     KWASIEC     Dan Masanin     Babatunde Ishola Babaita     Undergraduate Bursary     Bisi Kristien     Park     Valsolar     Code Of Conduct Tribunal     Ilorin East     Isiaka Oniwa     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     KWAFFA     Roseline Oni Aremu     Shonga Farm Project     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Nigeria Computer Society     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Shero     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Bolakale Kawu     EndSARS     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Issa Baba     Ibrahim Orire     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Yekeen Alabi     Magaji Are     BECE     Ibrahim Mashood     Nagode     Muhammad Yahya     Ajase-Ipo     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     Stephen Fasakin     Kwara State Government     Ilorin Metro Park     Gamji Members Association     Busari Alabi Alausa     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     Folajimi Aleshinloye     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     The Herald     Senior Staff Union Of Colleges Of Education     Senate Presidency     Lanwa     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Timothy Akangbe     Babata     Baaziki Sulaiman     Oba Abdulraheem     Naira Redesign     Emir Of Yashikira     Saka Isau     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     ARMTI     Wole Oke     Ahmed Dankaya     Mohammed Ibrahim     Ilorin Muslim Community     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Maigida Soludero Transit     Nnazua     Esuwoye     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Budo Egba     Yahaya Dumoye     ASUU     Abdulrahman Iliasu     Abdulrasheed Na\'Allah     Oniwasi Agbaye     Nagode     United Nigeria Congress Party     George Funsho Adebayo     Olabode Towoju     Wahab Egbewole     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Ita-Nmo Market     Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye     FERMA     Sheikh Alimi     Patigi Regatta     Ado Bayero     Tanke Road     Sobi     Idofin     John Obuh     Simeon Ajibola     IsDB     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Sheriff Shagaya     Razaq Ayobami Akanbi     Iyeru Grammar School     Suleiman Idris     Atiku     Okoolowo     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Fareedah Dankaka     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Orire     Geri-Alimi Split Diamond Interchange     Yahaya Abdulkareem     Basit Olatunji     Idowu Laro     NYSC     SDP     Ibrahim Akaje     Hassan Oyeleke     Bashiru Makama     Zaratu Umar     Razaq Atunwa     Unicontinental Construction Company     All Peoples Party     Oloye     Tsaragi/Share     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Shettima Of Ilorin     Michael Nzekwe     Iqra Books     General Hospital, Ilorin     Shade Omoniyi     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Olayinka Jelili Yusuf     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Iyaloja-General     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Laduba     Abdulwaheed Musa     Kwara State Sports Commission     MATTA Girls Foundation     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Raliat AbdulRazaq     Abegunde Goke     Ilorin Like-Minds     Shehu Jimoh     Adegoke Bamidele     Adisa Logun     Saka Abimbola Isau