Abducted journalist: Media bodies demand prosecution of military personnel, threaten legal action
By Toheeb Olatunji
Media bodies in the country have demanded the prosecution of military officials involved in the unlawful abduction of the First News Editor, Segun Olátúnjí who was recently released from detention.
The bodies comprising of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Press Organisations (NPO), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), International Press Institute, Nigeria Chapter (IPI Nigeria), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), International Press Centre (IPC) and the Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP) made this demand known in a joint press statement.
In the statement seen by Nigerian NewsDirect, the aggrieved bodies and associations demanded a speedy, public, transparent and independent investigation into this act of barbarism displayed by military personnel as well as the brazen disregard for the Constitution and the Government’s obligations under relevant domestic laws and international instruments.
They stated that all persons within and outside the military who are found to have been connected with this unacceptable violation of the rights of the journalist and the Constitution, including those who effected Mr. Olatunji’s arrest, detention and torture, those who directly commanded them, and those who ordered or instigated the action, should be prosecuted before the appropriate court and punished to the full extent of the Law.
Noting that the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, reportedly ordered the operation that culminated in Mr Olatunji’s abduction, torture, and detention while the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to whom the CDI reports, was also reportedly aware of the operation but joined the CDI to claim for days that the journalist was not in their custody. They need to be held accountable for their roles in the matter.
According to the statement, “Armed men wearing military uniforms and who introduced themselves as military personnel from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), led by a military officer who also introduced himself as Colonel Lawal, invaded Mr. Olatunji’s home in a Lagos suburb on March 15, 2024, seized Olatunji’s mobile phone, handcuffed and bundled him in one of their vehicles and flown, blindfolded to Abuja where he was kept in an underground cell for 14 days.
“The Federal Government conducts a speedy, public, transparent and independent investigation into the incident in order to identify all persons within and outside the military who were connected with the violation of Mr. Olatunji’s rights.
“There should be full accountability for all those responsible. Therefore, all persons within and outside the military who are found to have been connected with the incident, including those who effected Mr. Olatunji’s arrest, detention and torture, those who directly commanded them, and those who ordered or instigated the action, should be prosecuted before the appropriate court.
“The Federal Government should make an unequivocal public commitment to respect and defend the rights and freedoms of journalists and other media practitioners to carry out their professional duties in a safe and conducive environment in accordance with Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and advise all law enforcement, security, intelligence, military and other agencies accordingly.
“Should the Federal Government fail to respond positively to all these demands within 14 days from today, the undersigned media associations and professional bodies as well as civil society organisations will pursue all available mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels to ensure compliance with our demands,” the statement read.
