Detained Delta Journalists Narrate Ordeal With IGP Squad

Five Warri journalists arrested by detectives suspected to be from the office of the Inspector General of Police on Tuesday, have narrated their ordeal with the police team.

The journalists who were released after the detectives obtained statements from them with a bail bond of N1 million, said the unidentified detectives had on Tuesday evening stormed the Press Centre of the Warri Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to arrest the Correspondent of Daily Post Online, Mr. Matthew Omonigho.

Other journalists who were arrested alongside Omonigho are Mr Edeki Egafe of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Francis Sadhere of Business Day, Mr. Onyekachukwu Meluwa of the Punch and Mr Christopher Odamah, a freelancer.

“The four others had gone to Warri Area Command, were the Daily Post reporter was held, at the instance of the state NUJ, to ascertain the cause of his arrest.

“Following intervention of the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa and the state NUJ chairman, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, the five journalists were released around midnight of same day and instructed to return by 10am, Wednesday.

“However, the said IGP squad failed to show up at the specified time, and even two hours later. Their identities could not be ascertained from interactions at the Area Command”.

According to Omonigho, he was at the Press Centre when he received a call from one of the officers and on stepping outside, was seized and assaulted by same officer, a situation which left his trousers torn and his belt cut.

He narrated that the officers clad in jackets with inscription “SARS, IGP Squad” came in a Hilux van and drove round town for a while interrogating him for the whereabouts of a colleague.

“They took me to the Area Command in Warri where the leader of the team seized my phones and handed same to his colleagues. They dialled a number and Cletus Opukeme’s name popped up. They said my offence is that, I am a suspect because I have a link with Cletus Opukeme who also has a link with another person they were looking for based on investigation.

“They demanded that I take them to Cletus Opukeme’s house but I told them that I only know he stays in Agbarho Community but I don’t know his house. And that I know him as my colleague at the NUJ Secretariat where all Journalists meet.

“They took me round town as they tracked Cletus Opukeme to Bendel Estate in Ugborikoko, Uvwie Local Government Area. They begged to buy me a new belt and Jean trouser to replace the one they tore, but I told them I wasn’t going to accept anything from them.

“They took me back to the Area Command in Warri wherein they recorded my statements. In my statement, I told them that I know Cletus Opukeme stay at Agbarho but I don’t know his house. I also told them I don’t know how to get him for them. But they insisted I must provide Cletus Opukeme.

“The other of my colleagues, Mr. Edeki Igafe, Mr. Francis Sadhere of and Mr. Christopher Odamah of the Trumpet Newspaper who came in solidarity with me, were later arrested on the grounds that they also have links with Cletus Opukeme.

“The IGP Squad also recorded their statement and allowed Onyeka Meluwa to sign a bail bond of one million naira before they released us at 11:30pm on Tuesday, May 26,” Omonigho said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Delta state NUJ council, as well as the Warri Correspondents’ chapel, have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to call his men to order, further condemning the actions of the security operatives.

Comrade Felix Ekwu, ex-officio 1 of the state NUJ and the Warri chapel chairman, Mr. Victor Okpomor who spoke in separate interviews at the Area Command described the conduct of the operatives as “unlawful and unprofessional”.

“It is on record now that they have escaped from their duties. We are calling on the appropriate authorities, especially the IGP to call his men to order, allow journalists to do their work. Stop this harassment of our members. We will not take it likely. From now on, we will release all the arsenals at our disposal to ensure that we are unhappy with the actions,” Okpomor said.

Similarly, a human rights lawyer, Akpokona Omafuaire (Esq) has warned if the police fails to issue “unreserved apology” within the next 24 hours, “we are going to file against the violation of the fundamental human rights of these five persons illegally arrested and detained.”