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.

Sayomi     Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies     Kunle Akogun     Ibrahim Abikan     Zulu Gambari     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     KWSUED     Apata Ajele Secondary School     SSA Youth     Onilorin     Oni Adebayo     M.Y. Abdulrahaman     Tsaragi     Danladi     Esuwoye     Boko Haram     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Abiodun Oyedepo     General Hospital, Ilorin     Amina Susa\'a De Ahmed     IQRA College     Abikan     International Public Sector Accounting Standards     Baboko     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     Turaki Of Ilorin     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Sheikh Ariyibi     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     Yakub Lai Gobir     Air Peace     Tunji Folami     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     GAMA     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Freshvine Nigeria Limited     Yahaya A Paniyaro     Bamidele Adegoke     Iyaloja-General     Rasheed Jimoh     Charcoal     Olomu     Gambari     Plat Technologies Limited     Kwara Hotel     Anilelerin     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Aliyu Muhammed     LAK Jimoh     Ahmed Bayero     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Pius Abioje     Adebayo Salami     James Kolo     Olam Food Ingredients     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     Igbomina     Baba Issa     Innocent Okoye     Okin High School     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     Yemi Sanni     Mamatu Abdullahi     NSCIA     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Lanwa     Oniwasi Agbaye     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Akeem Olatunji     SARS     Bello Taoheed Abubakar     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Marafan Shonga     Dairo Kunle Paul     Alfa Modibbo Belgore     Taofik Mustapha     Abdulkarim Adisa     Pakata Development Association     NIRSAL     Stephen Fasakin     General Hospital, Offa     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Funmilayo Zubair     TESCOM     Oba David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Omu-aran     Rapheal Ashaolu     Oye Tinuoye     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Twitter     3MTT     Joseph Bamigboye     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     AGM Professional Services     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Budo-Egba     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Ayekale     Rueben Parejo     Bankole Omisore     Sulaiman Gado     Saadu Alanamu     Wahab Issa     Local Government Pension Board     Musa Abdullahi     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Magaji Erubu     Hijaab     Oniyangi     Mohammed Halidu     Ibrahim Mashood     Sidikat Akaje     Baba Issa Awoye     Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency     Noah Yusuf     Patience Jonathan     March 18     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Tayo Awodiji     Kawu     Amos Justus Sayo     Adanla-Irese     Oyawoye     Oke-Odo     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Danhawa     Abdulraheem Olesin     Ajasse-Ipo     Arinola Fatimoh Lawal     Saliu Mustapha     Abubakar B.M     Yekini Adio     Suleiman Idris     Mumini Ishola Hanafi     Onilorin     Kwara Volleyball Association     Yakubu Gobir     Oba Abu     Kwara Apc     Kwara State Government     Allocation     Zulu Gambari     Saidu Isa     Maigida     Olohungbebe     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Osuwa     Forgo Battery