Admin l Friday, January 20, 2017
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Publisher of Premium Times, Mr. Dapo Olurunyomi has been arrested by officials of the Nigerian Police Force. He was arrested after a raid at the Abuja office on Thursday evening.
In a statement on its website, the newspaper said The Nigeria police have raided PREMIUM TIMES head office in Abuja, and arrested the newspaper’s publisher.
The publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, was arrested alongside the paper’s judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu.
Plain-clothed officers conducted search at the office shortly after 5p.m. Thursday, and said they were acting on a complaint filed by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.
The arrests came days after PREMIUM TIMES turned down the army’s demand to retract news stories about the Nigerian Army and its operations.
“They should stop deluding themselves that they can muzzle the press and intimidate PREMIUM TIMES,” said The paper’s Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed.
“They should know that our loyalty lies with our readers and the Nigerian people who have a right to know”, he said, adding that the paper will continue “to discharge its responsibilities in line with global best practices, social responsibility and patriotism, even at great risk to our personal liberties”.
