NSA officials cart away According photojournalist’s camera, phones

Some officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser who abducted The According photojournalist, Kayode Jaiyeola, on Thursday, are yet to release his camera, phones and other belongings to him.

Jaiyeola was among the journalists covering the hunger protest at Eagles Square when officials from the office of the NSA abducted him.

Despite showing them his office identity card, the ONSA officials took his camera, phones and other belongings away from him.

Jaiyeola said the ONSA officials drove him to the FCT police command and ordered his detention.

He added that the officials refused his requests to call his office or family and inform them of his whereabouts.

Jaiyeola said, “I pleaded with them when we got to the station to allow me to speak with my office with my phones but they didn’t answer me. They drove off without even documenting with the police. They just introduced themselves as being from the office of the NSA. It was more of a case of abduction because nobody knew where I was, even in abduction cases the kidnappers will still let your family know you have been kidnapped.”

Jaiyeola stated that he managed to call one of his colleagues in the office after the FCT Nigerian Union of Journalists chairman, Jide Oyekunle, visited the command to retrieve his phone, which had been seized by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh.

“It was after the FCT chairman was given his phone I approached him to help me call any According reporter on his list. That was how I was able to make that distress call which eventually resulted in my release”, he added.

Jaiyeola who returned home some minutes ago, said efforts to get back his belongings proved abortive.

He said, “After I was released the police tried to help me see if they could help me get back my camera and phones but there was no headway. So I went straight to the NSA’s office but I was asked the names officers who arrested me. I told them they were not in uniform and there was no way I could know their names.

“I told them I can identify them when I see them. After some minutes they asked me to leave, at first I didn’t want to but in order not to create a scene I left and went back to the station with the hope that they would go back there to drop my gadgets but they didn’t.”

Efforts to speak to the ONSA’s spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa were fruitless as calls to his line were not answered, and he has yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.

When contacted, the FCT command police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh said Jaiyeola was brought by NSA officials and had been released.

Adeh added that Jaiyeola was still at the command because the police were trying to help him get his phone and camera back.

“We didn’t arrest him. He was brought from the NSA office. He has been told to go but he said his phone and gadgets are with the people who brought him and we have been trying to see how he could get them back which was why he is still with us. FCT police command didn’t arrest him, please. “