Global human rights organization, Amnesty International has called the Nigerian police to immediately free detained journalist Daniel Ojukwu, who report for FIJ, Foundation for Investigative Journalism. The call for Ojukwu’s release serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the media, especially in a nation where journalists are routinely targeted for doing their job.
In a statement posted on their X platform, Amnesty International underscores the essential need to safeguard journalists’ freedom to report without the looming threat of persecution. The human rights watchdog sternly condemned the Nigerian police’s intimidation tactics against Ojukwu, a prominent member of the media community, and demanded his immediate release.
The statement read; “Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the arrest of Daniel Ojukwu — a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism.”
“The Nigeria Police @PoliceNG must immediately release Daniel Ojukwu and end this relentless attack on freedom of the press,” the statement added.
Reports revealed that Daniel Ojukwu was apprehended by the Nigerian police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on the direct orders of Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun.
The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) also revealed that their colleague Daniel Ojukwu is now held at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Lagos, with allegations of cybercrime being used to justify his detention. Ojukwu, whose investigative reporting may have ruffled feathers among powerful figures, is now subject to a highly questionable charge that appears to be an attempt to silence and intimidate him. The narrative of Ojukwu’s arrest is beginning to resemble a disturbing case of political repression, with the authorities potentially abusing their power to persecute journalists who speak truth to power.
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