By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, human rights activists including Barrister Femi Falana (SAN), as well as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), have been urged to wade into the illegal detention of the Publisher of an Abuja based online newspaper, Mr Ayodeji Adebayo.
Adebayo who is the Publisher of Daily Metro NG, was arrested last week in Abuja, for allegedly publishing a news story exposing alleged fraudulent dealings involving one Mr. Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole.
He was later taken to Wuse Zone 3 Police Station, where he was detained and later handed over to another team of policemen who came from Alagbon in Lagos.
Since his arrest, he has not been charged to court, while his bail condition has not been effected. His access to his lawyer and family are also being denied.
In their reactions, some online journalists based in Abuja and Ondo State, where he hails from, appealed to the Police IG, Usman Alkali Baba through the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi to ensure Adebayo’s unconditional release.
They observed that the case against the Abuja based journalist isn’t a criminal one, wondering why he has not been charged to court or released on bail.
The journalists who expressed worries over the current condition of Mr. Adebayo, also wondered why he has not been granted access to his lawyer and family.
The online publishers who craved anonymity, further called upon the Police IG and other organizations like International Press Council (IPC), to ensure that Mr. Adebayo is urgently freed, as he was only performing his constitutional roles.
The journalists reiterated that journalism isn’t a crime and that the arrested publisher isn’t a criminal and shouldn’t be treated as such.
