Nigerian Police in Abuja has urged the management of the raided Nigerian Online Media, Premium Times, and the Nigerian Army to resolve their dispute amicably.
On thursday, police had raided the headquarters of Premium Times and arrested the publisher, Dapo Olarunyomi and judicial correspondent Evelyn Okakwu. They were granted bail same day, but asked to return the following morning.
The police said they were acting on a complaint filed by Usuagwu Ugochukwu, a lawyer who claimed he was representing Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.
According to a press release distribution medium, PRNigeria, “The FCT Police Commissioner, Mohammed Mustafa, admonished the military and the media on the need to sustain mutual relationship towards protecting national security and interest.”
PRNigeria said the Commissioner of police gave the suggestion when the Publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi and Judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu who were arrested on Thursday returned to the Police Command Headquarters on Friday morning, as required by their bail condition.
“The Commissioner appealed to the two parties to settle their difference amicably and out of court.”
Mr. Ugochukwu claimed in his complaints that by its alleged defamation of Mr. Buratai, the paper’s reporting was “unpatriotic” and amounted to supporting and furthering Boko Haram’s terror campaign in the Nigerian north-eastern zone.
Already, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a rights group, had written United Nations on increasing cases of arrests and detention of Journalists in Nigeria, in the last one year.
