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.

Makama     Mumeen Lah     Idris Amosa Saidu     Bola Shagaya     Ilorin Metro Park     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Jebba     Tunde Saad     Femtech     Raliat AbdulRazaq     Ghali Muhammed     Shade Omoniyi     Women Radio     Bluenile Associates     Jani Ibrahim     Kwara Restoration Project     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Lanre Jimoh     Abdulbaqi Jimoh     Tanke Road     Mufutau Olatinwo     Ramadhan     Sulu Babaita Isiaka     Umar Saro     Oladimeji Thompson     Senate President     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Olaitan Adefila     Yomi Ogunsola     Mustapha Akanbi     Government House     3MTT     Ilesha-Gwanara     Bareke     Ayegbeni     Yunus Oniboki     Lai Mohammed     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Muhammad Yahya     Communication Network Support Services     Logun     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Olatunde Olukoya     Olomu     Ahman Pategi University     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Aliyu Muyideen     Mohammed Abduraheem     Bamidele Aluko     Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye     IFK     Abatemi Usman     Zainab Abass     Sobi FM     Bola Tinubu     Pategi     Saadu Yusuf     Garba Dogo     Isiaka Rafiu Mope     Mustapha Olanipekun     Abdulraufu Mustapha     KWASEIC     Saka Saadu     2023 Elections     Buari Edun     Ethical College     Village Alive Development Association     Muslimah Entrepreneurship Forum     Aminu Ado Bayero     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Majlis For Sadakah, Zakat And Waqf     Nigerian Army     John Olajide Adedipe     Dagbalodo     Maigida     Amada Jidda    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Tanke Road     College Of Education     Ibrahim Abikan     Shonga Farm Project     Olatunde Olukoya     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     Alapado     Fareedah Dankaka     Kwara Politics     Yinka Aluko     Issa Oloruntogun     Yusuf Abdulraheem     Ejidongari     Col. Ibrahim Taiwo     UNILORIN Alumni Association     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Damilola Yusuf     Ilorin Airport     Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi     Transition Implementation Committee     Abubakar Usman Jos     ARMTI     AbdulRauf Keji     Ahmed Dankaya     Nurudeen Mohammed     Bashiru Makama     Lateef Alagbonsi     EndSARS     Fatai Olodo     Okiki     Yakubu Gobir     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Laolu Saraki     Saduki Lafiagi     Olaosebikan     Musa Ayinla Yeketi     LEAH Charity Foundation     David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Oro Grammar School Old Students Association     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     KWSUED     Isapa     Ibrahim Oniye     Bamidele Adegoke     Iliasu     Share-Tsaragi     Modupe Oluwole     Modibo Kawu     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     PharmAccess Foundation     Kwara State Geographic Information Service     Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Shonga     Zara Umar     Sola Saraki University     Ahman Pategi University     Sobi FM     Mukhtar Shagaya     Grillo     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     COVID     March 28     March 18     11th Galadima     Olawuyi     Amosa     Saraki     Isin     Goodluck Jonathan     Dogara     Ajidagba     Ghali Muhammed     Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi