‘I was thrown into cell in boxer shorts’ — FirstNews editor narrates ordeal in military detention

Segun Olatunji, FirstNews editor, has recounted his ordeal in military detention. The journalist spent 13 days in a holding facility. 

He was abducted by armed men from his home in Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos, on March 15.

After he was taken away, family members of the editor were kept in the dark on his whereabouts or on why he was seized.

Several groups, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, had clamoured for Olatunji’s release for days on end.

On Wednesday, the Nigerian chapter of the IPI said the journalist was in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

On Thursday, the editor was released by military authorities.

‘HOW I WAS ABDUCTED’

Speaking during a press conference organised by NUJ, NGE, IPI Nigeria in Abuja, the editor said he was in his home on the evening of March 15 when the armed men arrived.

According to Premium Times, the journalist said the armed men were accompanied by his wife, who they had arrested from her shop and forced to take them to his residence.

When he asked one of the personnel the reason for the arrest, the officer did not give a definitive response but said they were from the military.

“On March 15, I was at my house in Lagos, watching ‘Journalists’ Hangout’ with my seven-year-old son, when suddenly, soldiers burst into the sitting room,” he said.

“I saw my wife and one-year-old son amongst them, crying. I asked what happened, and she said they arrested her from her shop and asked her to take them to where I was.

“I asked an officer, whom I identified as Colonel Lawal if I could know why they were looking for me, and he said no, that they were from the military and they were there to arrest me.

“Immediately, he seized my phones as he had earlier seized my wife’s phones. I said okay, let me go in and dress up since I was only in my boxer shorts; some of them (soldiers) even followed me to my room as I took my shirt and trousers.

“They handcuffed me and put me into the vehicle. At first, I thought they were taking me to the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) in Apapa (Lagos), but then we made a detour to the Air Force Base and straight to the office of the National Air Defense Corps (NADC) where we waited for about three hours. I didn’t know we were waiting for a military aircraft to come pick me up.”

When the military aircraft arrived, he was told to hand over his spectacles to one of the officers and blindfolded, he said.

“They moved me into the aircraft, and we took off; when we landed, they took all my clothes. I was left with my boxer shorts. They also put leg cuffs on me in addition to the handcuffs and put me in a cell,” he said.

“At a point, one of the officers came and tightened the cuffs on my right hand and leg. I was there groaning in pain, and it was that way for three days.

“When they released it all, the right side of my body felt numb. As I’m talking to you, I can still feel the numbness in my right hand and leg.”

REASONS FOR ARREST

After some days in custody, he was brought to the interrogation room for questioning.

The journalist said one of the officers accused him of being one of the persons insulting the chief of defence intelligence.

The editor said he was also accused of terrorism.

“They were asking me about certain stories that FirstNews had carried. One of them told me that I was one of those abusing the chief of defence intelligence. I said how?” the editor asked.

“He said we did a story, and I replied that it was a general story. They didn’t say much on that.

“He also asked me about a story we carried about the chief of staff to the president, I think that was the major thing.”

He added that before the military made a move to release him, they searched through his phone to ascertain the sources of his stories and obtained a statement from him.

“On Tuesday, they asked me to write a statement, they went through my phone and checked my source, then they left me in the cell till last night (Wednesday) when they asked me to call someone in Abuja who can guarantee my release,” he said.

“So, I called Mr Yomi Odunuga, a good friend and brother who brought me into journalism some 27 years ago when I joined The Punch.”

He said he no longer feels safe because the military authorities had been trailing him for two weeks before the arrest and that they know everything about him.