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.

Muhammed Taofeeq Abdulrazaq     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Ilorin South     Freshvine Nigeria Limited     Amule Elementary School     KW-GIS     General Hospital     Abubakar Abdullahi Bata     Baba Isale     Gabriel Fashanu     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Oro Grammar School     NIPR     Yusuf Aiyedun     Bola Tinubu     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Wakilin Mata Lafiagi     IHS     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Ilorin.Info     Mujtabah Bature     Jimoh Saadudeen Muhammed     Saliu Ajia     Sidikat Alaya     Saadatu Modibbo-Kawu     Hamza Usman     Jawondo     Mufutau Olatinwo     Ilorin South Constituency     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Quareeb Islamic Association     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Simeon Sayomi     Kola Shittu     Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia     Olabode George Towoju     Baboko Primary School     Ilesha-Baruba     Shuaibu Yaman     Raji AbdulRasaq     Agbarere     Bashir Badawi     Emir Of Ilorin     Fatai Olodo     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Kayode Ogunlowo     Oke-Ogun     Ita-Ore     Abdulganiy Abimbola Abdussalam     Olaosebikan     Oladimeji Thompson     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Kwha.gov.ng     JUSUN     John Olajide Adedipe     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     Ahmed Idris Mohammed     Ogidi-Oloje     Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku     Goodluck Jonathan     Ilorin Central Mosque     Muslim Cementary     Dele Momodu     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     IFK     ITEM 7     Adesoye     Balogun Fulani     Alapado     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Mohammed Abdulahi     Nurudeen Muhammed    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

MMWG     AbdulRauf Keji     Www.Kwarareports.com     Ubandoma     Olokoba     Muhammed Danjuma     Jimoh Akani     Alfa Modibo Belgore     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Ayobami Akanbi     Lithium     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     Elekoyangan     Shettima     Bolakale Ayo     Cornelius Adebayo     Kulende-UITH     Alapado     Wahab Issa     Orisa Bridge     Dunmade     Yakubu Danladi     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Lanre Issa Onilu     Ilorin Like-Minds     Saliu Ajia     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Olaitan Adefila     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Obasanjo     Abdulrauf Yusuf     Kwara Pdp     NIPR     State Bureau Of Internal Revenue     NITDA     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Aliyu Sabi     Kawu Baraje     Olugbense     Yahaya Muhammad     Abubakar Aliagan     General Hospital     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Kuliyan Geri     Dan Iya     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     John Kehinde Salako     Ibrahim Bio     Muhammadu Buhari     Taibat Ayinke Ahmed     Saba Jibril     Sadiq Umar     Kamaldeen Gambari     Isau     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Olateju Lukman     Saad Omo Iya     Kwara State Football Association     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Yashikira     KWASEIC     Aminat Omodara     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Ahmed     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Mutawalle     Senate     Kwara Restoration Project     Oyelere Oyinloye     Yoonus Lawal     Suleiman Abubakar     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     HYPPADEC     Abdullahi G. Mohammad     Kwasu     College Of Health