IPC Condemns Detention of Osun NUJ Secretary, Demands Police Apology
Oru Leonard
The International Press Centre (IPC), through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has condemned the arrest and detention of the Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, Mr. Olalekan Akindoju, by police operatives in Osogbo.
In a statement issued on Friday, the IPC described the incident as unlawful and called on the Nigeria Police Force to tender an official apology to the journalist and investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
According to Akindoju, the incident occurred around 6 a.m. on Thursday when policemen reportedly stormed his residence, arrested him and confiscated his mobile phone without providing any explanation.
“They invaded my residence this morning around 6 a.m., arrested me and seized my phone without any valid explanation. All attempts to identify myself as a journalist failed, as they refused to listen to me or give me the opportunity to call anyone,” he said.
Akindoju disclosed that he was detained for nearly five hours before being released following the intervention of colleagues and the NUJ. He said the police later claimed the arrest was a case of mistaken identity.
Reacting to the development, Executive Director of the IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, described the incident as unacceptable and urged security agencies to exercise greater professionalism when carrying out arrests.
“This incident is highly condemnable, and the Police must do due diligence in gathering their intelligence and information before initiating arrests, especially as it pertains to journalists,” Arogundade said.
The SPJ Hub reiterated the need to protect press freedom and end all forms of harassment, intimidation and unlawful detention of journalists in the course of their duties.
The organisation called on the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, CP Ibrahim Gotan, to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and hold the officers involved accountable.
According to the IPC, safeguarding journalists and ensuring a free and independent press remain critical to strengthening democratic governance and protecting citizens’ right to information.