Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist working with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been released after being abducted by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police. His freedom was regained on Friday after spending 10 days in police custody.
Ojukwu’s disappearance was noticed last Wednesday when he could not be reached, as his phone numbers were switched off and his whereabouts were unknown to colleagues, family, and friends. FIJ promptly made a missing person report at police stations in the area where Ojukwu was headed.
Efforts to locate him led to the discovery that his phones were last active in Isheri Olofin, suggesting that this might have been where the police initially took him into custody. Subsequently, Ojukwu’s family learned that he was being detained at Panti, where authorities accused him of violating the 2015 Cybercrime Act.
Later, the Intelligence Response Team relocated him to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja. FIJ’s lawyers and negotiators, including prominent figures like Omoyele Sowore, Jide Oyekunle, and Bukky Shonibare, were involved in securing his release. The police imposed stringent bail conditions, which were met after a protest march by civil society organizations at the Force Headquarters.
Abimbola Ojenike, Managing Partner of Slingstone LP and FIJ’s attorneys, denounced Ojukwu’s abduction as a severe violation of human rights and an abuse of police power against journalists. He emphasized the importance of challenging such violations to uphold the constitutional right to free speech and prevent oppression and fear among journalists exposing government malfeasance.
