IGP, Kayode Egebtokun
The Nigerian police authorities yielded to pressure from protesting journalists and activists, as well as leaders of Civil Society Organisations and free press advocates, who stormed the Police Headquarters in Abuja, to demand Daniel Ojukwu’s freedom on Thursday and set the detained journalist free..
Led by the country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Friday Odey, the protesters demanded immediate and unconditional release of Ojukwu, a reporter with Foundation for investigative Journalism, FIJ, saying his continued detention is equivalent to an extrajudicial trial and punishment.
“We also condemn the incessant use and abuse of the remand order process, which is observed to be the new machinery for which the Nigeria Police continuously violates the rights of Nigerian citizens”, Odey said.
Earlier, FIJ said Ojukwu was arrested by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of IGP Egbetokun. It added that the journalist was initially detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, in Lagos state, before being transferred to Abuja.
But in an update on Friday, FIJ confirmed in a post on X that Ojukwu has been released by the Nigerian Police Force “after 10 days in police captivity”.
The Nigerian Police, on Thursday, said that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was not involved in Ojukwu’s case.
Police spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made this disclosure while giving an update on the detention of Ojukwu.
“The IGP has no hand in this case. The team handling FIJ’s case is headed by a commissioner of police, who is competent and ready to do justice all the time.
“The Police Force has not erred in this case at all. The law must take its course. If Daniel Ojukwu produces a substantive surety today, he will be released on bail”, Adejobi said on X.
