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.

Ohoro Of Shao     Chief Imam Of Ilorin     Segun Ogunsola     Alloy Chukwuemeka     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Ojo Isekuse     Share/Tsaragi     Timothy Olatunde Fadipe     Orisa Bridge     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Olawuyi     Kolawole Akande     Monthly Sanitation     Unilorin     Post Utme     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Owode Market     Coronavirus     Teachers Specific Allowance     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development     Tunde Kazeem     Abdulwaheed Musa     Muhammed Aliyu     Siddiq Adebayo Idowu Salawu     Bolaji Abdullahi     Mohammed Ibrahim     Ganmo Power Sub-Station     Ifelodun     Yakubu Dogara     Muhammed Akanbi     The Herald     Saba Jibril     Paul Olawoore     Noah Yusuf     CCT     Code Of Conduct     ENetSuD     Mutawali     Okin Malt     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Kwara Hotel     Danhawa     Ijagbo Health Centre     Muslim Stakeholders Of Kwara State     Ojuekun Sarumi     Ilorin International Airport     University Road     COVID-19 Palliatives     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     Bayo Ojo     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Adedipe     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Doyin Group     Ibrahim Abdulkadir Abikan     Abubakar Atiku     Modibo Kawu     Kola Bukoye     Bolakale Ayo     Principal Private Secretary     Kayode Laro     Galland Marcias     SWAN     Lanwa     Kolade Solagberu     Ambassador Kayode Laro     KWSIEC     Moji Makanjuola     Olabanji Orilonishe     IEDPU     Chikanda     Chief Imam Of Offa     International Vocational Centre     Yekini Adio     Kaiama    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

The Herald     Owo Isowo     Senior Ibrahim Suleiman     Kwara United     Saheed Popoola     Agboola Babatunde     IPSAS     HICA     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Sheikh Alimi     Nurudeen Muhammed     TIIDELab     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Sobi FM     Alanamu     Jawondo     Sola Saraki University     Quarry Royal Valley     Idris Garba     Odo-Owa     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     Muritala Awodun     Maryam Nurudeen     Omar Bolaji Gambari     Photo News     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Monsurat Omotosho     Musbau A. Akanji     Amuda Musbau     Ladi Hassan     Ibrahim Abikan     Agor     Yusuf Mubarak     Seni Saraki     Kwara Basketball Association     Overland     Old Oyo     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Ethical College     Hausa     Ahmed Idris Mohammed     Mahmud Ajeigbe     AGM Professional Services     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Olokoba     Ilorin East     John Obuh     Baba Isale     Hussein Olokooba     Wole Oke     Idowu Aremu     School Of Nursing     Jare Olatundun     Gurei     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     Ganmo     Rafiu Ajakaye     Wakilin Mata Lafiagi     Mohammed Yahaya Barki     Bola Tinubu     Sherif Shagaya     Abdullahi Biffo     Baaziki Sulaiman     Ilofa     Femi Ogunsola     Yunus Lawal     UNILORIN Alumni Association     National Information Technology Development Agency     Tosho Yaqub     Unilorin     Alabe     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Saidu Kawu     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Hauwa Nuru