OPAN calls on Police to immediately release detained journalist, Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe

The Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN), the flagship organization for digital news publishers, has demanded the immediate release of the publisher of 247ureports.com, Mr Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe, who was picked up by the Nigerian police at the FCT-Abuja on the morning of July 5, 2022 over an article published on the website.

In a statement signed by its President, Austyn Ogannah, and General-Secretary, Daniel Elombah, OPAN said since his arrest by men from the IGP monitoring team, he had remained in incarceration and had not been charged to court, adding that it was unlawful and an infringement of his fundamental rights.

OPAN said although the Police never formally invited him, he was immediately arrested and taken to the national police headquarters in Asokoro where he was interrogated in the absence of his lawyer.

According to the Association, a former chief of staff to the former governor of Anambra, Willie Obiano, Chief Primus Odili, who recently failed in his senatorial bid on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), petitioned the IGP monitoring team to arrest and detain Mr Ezenekwe claiming the article on him was libelous.

OPAN said it gathered authoritatively that Chief Odili had tasked the IGP monitoring team to unmask the source of the article, which Ezeneke had declined to identify, citing confidentiality and privilege between journalists and news sources.

“We find it disturbing and unacceptable that the police could allow a citizen to use it to intimidate a journalist.

“The police have continued to intimidate and coerce Ezenekwe demanding to know the source of his story. This is wrong. Is the police above the laws of the land?

“OPAN hereby calls on the police to immediately release Mr Ezenekwe and apologise to him for his unlawful incarceration,” the statement read.