‘He was taken away for safety’ — police deny arresting Abuja journalist covering protest

The federal capital territory (FCT) police command has denied arresting Jide Oyekunle, a journalist with Daily Independent Newspapers, during the protest in Abuja.

Oyekunle, who is also the chairman of the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja, was covering the protest against the rising cost of living tagged #EndBadgovernance, alongside other reporters in the country’s capital city on Thursday.

Oyekunle said officers led by Benneth Igwe, FCT police commissioner, accosted journalists who arrived at Eagle Square with the protesters from the MKO Abiola stadium.

“I didn’t commit any crime; I was covering protests, and he (Igwe) asked them to arrest me, and he personally collected my mobile phone,” the journalist said.

“My mobile phone is still with him, and it took the intervention of other journalists around that called the attention of other officers that ‘this is the chairman of NUJ; he should not be taken; he is covering protests’.

“So, I don’t know why police are trying to suppress press freedom while we are carrying out our constitutional duty; this is unfair.”

‘HE WAS TAKEN AWAY FOR SAFETY’

However, in a statement, Josephine Adeh, police spokesperson in the FCT police, said the journalist was taken away for his safety.

“Mr. Jide Oyekunle was rather taken away from the perceived unsafe environment for his own safety after being advised to leave where he was standing to a safer location, and he declined, as some of the protesters had suddenly become violent,” the statement reads.

Adeh said it is the duty of the police to protect lives and property.