The Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has faulted the Police Area Commander of Zone 2, Abeokuta, ACP Ogundele Olorunwa, over the alleged illegal detention of its Council Secretary, Comrade Bunmi Adigun.
The position of the union was contained in a press release issued by the NUJ Ogun State Council Chairman, Comrade ‘Wale Olanrewaju, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the Union expressed displeasure and outrage over what it described as “a clear case of abuse of power and disregard for the rule of law,” following the detention of Comrade Adigun, who was said to be carrying out efforts to restore sanity around the Union Secretariat on Tuesday night.
The statement explained that the Union Secretary had reported a nuisance around the Council Secretariat to the police but was detained by the Area Commander after realizing his identity.
The statement reads in part, “Our Union Secretary, while engaging in efforts to restore sanity around our Council Secretariat last night, was detained for hours by the Area Commander after he had sought the police’s assistance to arrest a defiant individual, who has been constituting a nuisance in and around our Secretariat.”
It added that rather than acting on the complaint, the Area Commander allegedly detained the Union Secretary after discovering a previous Facebook post involving a story from the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) against him.
“Shockingly, instead of supporting our efforts to maintain law and order, the Area Commander chose to detain our Union Secretary for hours after checking his Facebook account and realizing he had shared the CDHR report about him. He immediately ordered his detention in what we consider an abuse of office,” the statement further quoted.
The Union noted that such actions were unbecoming of a senior police officer, saying it portrayed the force in bad light. It further urged the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, to take immediate disciplinary action against the Area Commander.
“We call on the Commissioner of Police to take swift action against this errant officer and ensure that justice is served. Ogun NUJ deserves better cooperation from law enforcement agencies as we strive to sanitize our secretariat,” the Chairman said.
The Union also reaffirmed its solidarity with the detained Secretary, stressing that journalists would not be intimidated in the discharge of their duties.
“As a Union, we stand united in solidarity with our Secretary, Comrade Bunmi Adigun, and in advocating for justice, accountability, and the protection of our rights as journalists,” the statement concluded.
