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.

Jumoke Monsura Gafar     Okin Group     Isapa     Raji AbdulRasaq     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Ayodele Shittu     Olokoba     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     Ibrahim Taiwo     Yoonus Kola Olatinwo     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Sidikat Akaje     Abubakar B.M     Harrison Osauwagboe     Yusuf Lawal     James Kolo     Ahmed \'Lateef     Okiki     Sobi FM     Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah     Olumide Daniel Ibitoye     Tsado Manman     Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu     Egbewole     Sadiq Umar     Ibrahim Abikan     Igbaja     Dele Momodu     Olatunji Abdulmumeen     Fulani     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Sunday Otokiti     Bolakale Ayo     Mary Kemi Adeosun     National Democratic Congress     Idowu Laro     Pacify Labs     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu     Kwara 2023     Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade     April 11     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Malete     Elerinjare     Mohammed Kamaludeen     AbdulGafar Tosho     Abdulkadir Orire     Sardauna     Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs     Mutawali Of Ilorin     A.E. Afolabi     Sobi Hill     Yeketi     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Alagbado     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Mahee Abdulkadir     Bello Abubakar     Aminat Ahmed     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Tafida Of Kaiama     EFCC     Ibrahim Abdullahi     Moji Makanjuola     Atunwa     Paul Odama     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     Balogun Fulani     Alloy Chukwuemeka     Tafidan Kaiama     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Sunday Fagbemi     Saraki     Albert Ogunsola    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Majlis For Sadakah, Zakat And Waqf     Revenue Court     Hamid Bobboyi     Abdulfatai Baakini     Awoye     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Kale Bayero     Shururat Olatinwo     Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union     International Aviation College     Idowu Aremu     Usman Rifun     Ohoro Of Shao     Bankole Omisore     Sam Onile     Wahab Issa     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     Femi Agbaje     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Apaola     Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited     Adamu Jemilat-Baki     Yahaya Dumoye     Muslimah Entrepreneurship Forum     Ilesha-Baruba     Kazeem Gbolagade     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     2023 Elections     Sulyman Buhari     Ajuloopin     Sa\'ad Alanamu     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Bayer AG     Umar Sanda Yusuf     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Raheem Adaramaja     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Elese Of Igbaja     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     CCEPE     Kayode Yusuf     Aminat Ahmed     Ghali Alaaya     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     TESCOM     ASUU     Bayo Ojo     Asa     Kwara NIPR     Musa Yeketi     Isiaka Abdulrazak     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Akanji     Kwabes     Sodiya     Kwara Primary Health Care Development Agency     Code Of Conduct Bureau     Jare Olatundun     Umar Saro     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     KWSUED     Kwara Restoration Project     Okiki     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Kwara State University Of Education     Centre For Digital Economy     Harmony Holdings     Titus Ashaolu     Arik     Transition Implementation Committee     KFA     Bayo Mohammed Onimode     John Olobayo     NTA Ilorin     Elewu     Isiaka Alikinla