The Nigeria Union of Journalists have criticized the police over the arrest and detention of PREMIUM TIMES’ security sector reporter, Samuel Ogundipe, on Tuesday.
Samuel Ogundipe was arrested for reporting on the report sent to the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbanjo by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on the sacked and detained DG of SSS, Malam Lawal Daura.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists in a statement released by it’s National President, Abdulwaheed Odusile, said the union “is horrified by the constant harassment and molestation of Journalists by the Police and other Agents of the State and requests that such should abate forthwith.”
“It should be noted that confidentiality of sources is necessary for good journalism to flourish and Journalists should not be coerced into revealing such sources.We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Samuel Ogundipe and an end to all forms of impunity against the media”, Odusile noted.
Nigerians across board and on social media have also been calling for the release of Mr Ogundipe using the hashtag #FreeSamuelOgundipe on Twitter.
“On the same day you ordered the police to overhaul SARS, SARS still arrested Samuel Ogundipe, a @PremiumTimesng journalist because of a story. Please consider this as evidence that SARS needs to be scrapped and not overhauled. #EndSARS,” a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, wrote.
