By Toyeeb Omotayo
The Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has condemned the arrest and continued detention of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), for alleged violation of the 2015 Cybercrime Act by the Nigeria Police.
This was contained in a statement released by the Deputy Director, CJID, Busola Ajibola, on Saturday, May 4.
This was as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) asked the President Bola Tinubu-led government to immediately release Ojukwu.
SERAP made this call in a post on its official X handle, arguing that no journalist should ever be detained for doing their job.
It also noted that it’s attempting to sue the Tinubu administration over the unlawful detention of FIJ journalists by the police for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Act.
Ojukwu according to FIJ was abducted by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police on Wednesday, May 1, but his abduction became known on Friday, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day.
According to a report by FIJ, he is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, in Lagos, and has been denied access to legal representation.
The attacks, which have continued to generate widespread condemnation from journalists and concerned Nigerians, were deemed a significant setback in the ongoing battle against impunity and harassment of media professionals in Nigeria.
The Coalition noted that the arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists remain unacceptable as it negates the basic principles of democracy.
“The arrest and continued detention of Mr Ojukwu is not only a violation of his fundamental human rights but also an assault on press freedom.
