As part of moves to further traumatise him, the Nigerian police, through the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Tuesday froze the bank account of PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Samuel Ogundipe.

Mr Ogundipe was arrested at about 300 p.m. and driven from the SARS headquarters in Abuja to the IGP Monitoring Unit at Force Headquarters where he was made to write a statement concerning the source of a recent story he wrote. He has declined giving his source as allowed by journalism ethics.

Mr Ogundipe’s salary account with Ecobank was frozen in an attempt to frustrate him. One of the police officers handling the investigation, Emmanuel Onyeneho, an inspector, was heard saying they had to freeze the account to incapacitate the reporter.

At the Force headquarters, where he was taken, a Deputy Commissioner of Police at the IGP Monitoring Unit, Sani Ahmadu, was heard directing lawyers to “rush to court” to obtain a warrant to detain Mr. Ogundipe.


They also repeatedly asked the journalist to disclose his source.

Mr Ogundipe has been taken back to the SARS headquarters in Abuja and is currently being detained there.

Apart from asking Mr Ogundipe to disclose his source, the police also accused the reporter, who covers the security sector, of publishing mainly negative stories about the police.



Mr Onyeneho told Mr Ogundipe that they believe the journalist had written more negative stories than positive stories about the police and they considered that a crime.

He said the journalist must disclose all his sources for his stories about the police, something Mr Ogundipe professionally declined.

Aside Mr Ogundipe, this newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Musikilu Mojeed, and its education correspondent, Azeezat Adedigba, were also briefly detained and harassed by the police at the SARS headquarters in Abuja.

Ms Adedigba and Mr Mojeed were later released after hours of detention.


News by JoelsBlog Media

Mynd Mynd44 OAM4J

This matter should be investigated properly and the man should be freed ASAP.
What is SARS turning to everyday?!

They are always disturbing the managers of Premium Times... As they are not like Vanguard that will hide their nonsense.... Mynd44 please table this report

Mr Onyeneho told Mr Ogundipe that they believe the journalist had written more negative stories than positive stories about the police and they considered that a crime.

Could this be true?!
That will be so crazy then.

post=70278249:
This matter should be investigated properly and the man should be freed ASAP.
What is SARS turning to everyday?!

It's top much! They recently detained the Editor of Premium Times for defending reporters rights... Is that now a Crime also

Joelsblog:



It's top much! They recently detained the Editor of Premium Times for defending reporters rights... Is that now a Crime also

That is so sad.
Something must be done NOW!

post=70278277:
Mr Onyeneho told Mr Ogundipe that they believe the journalist had written more negative stories than positive stories about the police and they considered that a crime.

Could this be true?!
That will be so crazy then.

That's how sickening it is! Like why? Is writing Negative articles about the police an offense? If they hate seeing Negative articles they should buckle up! Mynd44 no need to waste time again... I just want Ogundipe to be released asap

SARS mtcheew

OK

calling Nigeria a zoo is wrong because a zoo is better than her. she's a cruel and brutal jungle where survival is only for the fortunate few feeding on the unfortunate majority.

Someone should tell the IGP that the strength of a journalist lies in the ethics of the job, part of which is to protect his source(s).

And this is the fact ...

Joelsblog:



That's how sickening it is! Like why? Is writing Negative articles about the police an offense? If they hate seeing Negative articles they should buckle up! Mynd44 no need to waste time again... I just want Ogundipe to be released asap

Good to see the story is on front page already.

Because he wrote negative articles about them,they decided to harass him Is there any good thing to write home about the nigerian police sef?The truth is indeed bitter.
It is only in Nigeria where there is freedom of speech but no freedom after speech.Abeg make them release am jor