Police release The Whistler journalist after 8 hours in detention

Kasarachi Aniagolu, a journalist with the Whistler Newspaper in Abuja, has been released from police custody.

Whistler Newspaper confirmed Aniagolu’s release in a statement issued on Thursday.

The journalist was arrested on Wednesday by the anti-violence crime unit of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) while covering a raid on bureau de change (BDC) operators in the Wuse Zone 4 area of Abuja.

She was arrested alongside 95 forex traders.

In a statement announcing her release, the newspaper said Aniagolu was detained for about eight hours.

“Thanks to the collective efforts of media outlets, human rights organizations, and concerned individuals who amplified the injustice of her arrest, Ms Aniagolu was released on Wednesday night after approximately 8 hours of illegal detention at the Anti-Violence Crime Unit of the Nigerian Police Force in Guzape, Abuja,” the statement reads.

“While we acknowledge Ms Aniagolu’s freedom as a positive development, THE WHISTLER remains deeply troubled by the circumstances leading to her arrest and detention while doing her job as a journalist.”

The newspaper asked the police authorities to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the arrest of the journalist and confiscation of her working equipment.

The news organisation demanded an “unreserved public apology” from the police leadership over the “egregious violation of press freedom and the fundamental human rights” of journalists.