The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL (formerly Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders) has condemned arrest of Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, yesterday by police.

The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, in a statement, described role and attitude of the police as inappropriate and unacceptable.

Adeniran said, “This development is reminiscent of the dark days of the Military rule when journalists were hounded, intimidated, tortured, harassed, detained and assassinated on regular basis. It is unfortunate that the Police are still living in that age and time, when arbitrary arrests and detentions were the order of the day. And this is in spite of our country being in a democracy.”

“Let us assume without conceding that Sowore is guilty of the trumped-up charges of defamation, blackmail and threat to life; and if the Police had a petition on the matter, we should ask the Police if previously they had invited the journalist for interrogations. If they did, what was Sowore’s response, that is, did he honour the invitation? If he didn’t, what did the Police do? Where should it be the petitioner that had to carry-out the arrest on behalf of the Police?”

Adeniran alleged that the so-called petitioner was linked to laundering money for Femi Fani-Kayode in infamous arms deal scandal perpetrated under last regime when money meant for arms were diverted for political campaigns, saying that the motive of this occurrence was not far-fetched.

He said: “There were two obvious evil machinations in this illegal arrest of Sowore; first is the connivance of the Police in the episode and secondly, but more fundamentally, corruption fighting back voraciously. We all know the impressive role SaharaReporters has been playing in terms of exposing the corrupt elements in and out of government in Nigeria in particular and Africa generally. Sowore is actually a ‘thorn in the flesh’ of oppressors and the kleptomaniacs in our country which is why he is now been hounded. Nigerians must realize this; we must be vigilant as we can all see from this incidence that corrupt elements will go to any level including violence just to kill the anti-corruption mode the country is already in.”

“We demand an immediate halt to the harassment of Sowore, he must not be detained under this circumstance or any other one unjustly. He must be allowed to enjoy his freedom of expression, movement and all the other fundamental human rights to the fullest.”

http://www.metronaija.com/2017/01/cacol-condemns-sahara-reporter.html

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