Segun Olatunji, FirstNews Editor, finally regains freedom Newsdiaryonline

After vehement denial by the Nigerian security agencies that the abducted editor of FirstNews, Mr. Segun Olatunji

By Haruna Salami

After vehement denial by the Nigerian security agencies that the abducted editor of FirstNews, Mr. Segun Olatunji was not in their custody, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has just released him after being held for 14 days incommunicado.

This was disclosed at a press conference called by the International Press Institute (IPI), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at FCT Council of NUJ, Utako, Abuja Thursday.

The press conference, which was titled “Let’s Protect Free Press, Let’s Protect Our Democracy against military misconduct” was to update members of the public about the abduction of the Editor, FirstNews, Mr. Segun Olatunji “who armed people we earlier thought were non-state actors abducted from his home in Lagos on March 15”.

The text of the press conference was signed by Musikilu Mojeed, President, International Press Institute, Nigeria, Iyobosa Uwugiaren Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Chris Isiguzo, President, Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The spokesman of the team at the press conference, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors made reference to a statement issued by the management of FirstNews, that Mr. Olatunji’s abduction was linked to a recent story published by the media organization titled, “Revealed: Defence Chief running office like family business Public Interest Lawyers.”

“Narrating the ugly incident, Mr. Olatunji’s wife, who witnessed the abduction of her husband, said the armed men stormed their residence a few minutes after 6 pm that day. She said on their arrival, the abductors immediately confiscated her husband’s telephone before shoving him into a van. She said she asked the abductors what her husband’s offence was and where they were taking him. The stern-looking men rebuffed her enquiries.

Uwugiaren said for days, the Publisher of FirstNews, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, as well as Mr. Olatunji’s colleagues and family members, the leaderships of the IPI, the NGE and the NUJ frantically searched for Mr. tried in vain to locate him.

“We interacted with the presidency, the Nigeria Police Force (Lagos and Abuja), the Nigerian Army, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Interior, the Defence Headquarters, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, and the State Security Services (SSS).

“Other security agencies were also contacted. But all the efforts failed until last night. The military claimed the journalist was not in their custody. They lied to us and top government officials whose interventions we sought.

The major headway came on Monday when IPI Nigeria was able to determine (without doubt) that the journalist was being detained and tortured by the Defence Intelligence Agency in Abuja.

“The IPI then informed the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, of its finding and asked them to release our colleague immediately.

“We also provided that information to top government officials who also reached out to Generals Musa and Undiandeye. Again, they lied that the journalist was not in their custody. Yet our sources were telling us we needed to act fast to save our colleague from being killed.

“That was what culminated in the IPI Nigeria’s press statement of Wednesday, which clearly accused the DIA of abducting and detaining Mr. Olatunji.

“Once that statement circulated in the media, the anti-democratic officers became jittery. They became even more confused after they became aware that the NGE, the NUJ, and the IPI had scheduled a follow-up press conference for this morning. Knowing the game was up. they admitted their crime last night. They confessed to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, that our colleague was in their custody and that they would release him immediately.

Uwugiaren said “at this point, we want to put on record the important role played by the Minister of Information and other top officials of government towards the resolution of this matter. These reckless and anti-media officers, who apparently have no respect for civilian authorities, lied to and disobeyed officials of the federal government who intervened.

“We are sure that many right-thinking members of society, including the international community, are both amazed and shocked by the lawlessness and fear-provoking action of the DIA – an agency under the command of Major General Undiandeye, who reports directly to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa.

“The DIA’s action makes us wonder about its real intention. Our suspicion is that they planned to secretly eliminate Mr. Olatunji so that members of the public could attribute his disappearance to unknown gunmen. But we are glad they failed.

“For us, this vicious, uncivilized, unlawful and criminal action of the DIA is unacceptable. The action is alien to Nigeria’s democratic space. It is now clear that there are some officers in our military who are still finding it difficult to subject themselves to civil authority 24 years after our country returned to representative governance.

The IPI, NGE and NUJ do not think this kind of attitude should be condoned by President Bola Tinubu, particularly, and Nigerians, in general. “If officers in a military institution like DIA could hack a journalist’s telephone, mishandle his wife, abduct him, detain him secretly for 12 days and disobey senior officials of the federal government, then our democracy cannot be said to be safe”.

They are the view that “although our colleague has now been released, we are calling on President Tinubu to ensure that these officers are punished for their bad behaviour. By all standards, the actions of the DIA, General Musa and Major General Undiandeye are against the provisions of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and other international instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory – which forbid the detention of any citizen or resident beyond 48 hours, except with a valid court order.

“More so, the DIA’s action is a direct attack on press freedom. One of the core missions of the free press is to serve as a watchdog on power. The press, as we all know, is the connection between the people and the government. If the press is not allowed to carry out its social and constitutional responsibilities but instead obligated to power, it simply serves as an extension of power. Without freedom of the press, our democracy is endangered. In the case of corruption, a free press is critical to exposing abuses of power. For sure, the media is not above the law, but in a democracy, the only way to determine wrong or right is through the legal process.

Uwugiaren was categorical that this is not the end of this matter, adding that “hhe Nigerian media community shall consult further in the next few days on the actions to take against the CDS, the CDI, and the military regarding this matter”.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of DIA, Mr. Olatunji thanked everybody who has helped one way or the other because according to him, “it was due to your efforts that these people were moved, if not I was kept incommunicado. Nobody knew where I was until this morning when I was asked to call somebody.

On Friday March 15, I was in my house watching “Journalists Hangout” with my seven year old son. Suddenly, saw soldiers bust into the sitting room. I looked up and saw behind them my wife and my one year old boy crying. I asked the officer who led them …. if I could know his identity and what they were looking for.

He said we are from the military and we are here to arrest you. Immediately, he seized my phones, he had earlier seized my wife’s phone.

He said he was blind folded, handcuffed, leg cuffed and taken to Abuja in a Military plane and detained in in DIA underground cell 9.

In addition to the stories which offend the CDS, Mr. Olatunji said his captors also mentioned terrorism. “I don’t know what they meant by that. I’m a journalist. They came to my house. I don’t have more than kitchen knife. They saw everything, so I don’t know where terrorism came into this. I don’t understand at all. That is why I said my life is not safe at all.

“If they can come up with such a heinous accusation, then I wonder where they are actually going”.