The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council has condemned “in strong terms the arrest of Mr Yusuf Odejobi, a Reporter with MMS Plus in Lagos by the Police”.
In a statement signed by Chairman, Adeleye Ajayi and Secretary, Tunde Olalere, NUJ said the arrest of the reporter over a story on Dangote Refinery written by the news medium “was tantamount to gagging the press and another attack by security operatives on the freedom of the press”.
The statement read: “The police invaded the headquarters of Kings Communications Limited in Lagos in the early hours of Tuesday.
“The action of the police was barbaric to have handcuffed and paraded Odejobi in a criminal way for more than five hours at the Zonal CID Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos.
“We learned that the policemen acted on the directives of Dangote Group Spokesman, Mr Anthony Chiejina who had threatened to deal with the leadership of the media outfit for publishing a news story titled, “AMCON May Take Over Dangote Refinery As Liabilities Swell”.
“It was learned that the Editor-in-Chief of MMS Plus, Mr Kingsley Anaroke has also been invited by the Police.
“The dastard action of the police is another threat to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press as the fourth estate of the realm.
“The police is learned enough to know that in such instance, there is room for legal actions instead of taking laws into their hands by dehumanising a journalist.
“The freedom of expression as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees the right to express views on issues through any medium of choice.
“Press freedom is also concomitant to the right to express views.
“The police should know that free expression is the bedrock of democracy and a necessary ingredient for an enabling free civil society.
“The security operatives are, therefore, duty-bound to join in promoting press freedom as enshrined in Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.
“All overzealous activities of security operatives against the press must stop for democracy to survive and thrive.
“We advise that the Management of Dangote Group should resort to appropriate alternative measures rather than adopting an undemocratic move in gagging the press
“Journalists as professionals have the responsibility to monitor governance and report to the public.
“Even Section 22 of the Constitution imposes a duty for the media to hold government accountable at all times.
“Relatively, those in the private sector are not immune to also being held accountable.
“We, therefore, view the action of the police against the publishers of MMS Plus as another act of impunity against the press.
“Let it be known that nobody can cage the press.
“It should be a symbiotic relationship between the press and the security operatives, rather than bullying and intimidating the press.
“The NUJ, therefore, demands an unreserved apology from the police for the impunity against the publishers of MMS Plus by unjustifiably treating Odejobi as a criminal”.
