Police detains Daniel Ojukwu, investigative journalist for 7 days without charge

Admin I Tuesday, May 07, 2024

 

LAGOS, Nigeria – Fast growing investigative journalist, working for FIJ, Daniel Ojukwu has been abducted from his beat and detained by the police for seven days without charge in Abuja. 

Daniel Ojukwu who has been kept incommunicado at the Force Criminal Investigative Department, FCID Abuja is being  held by the police.

It is not clear what offence he has committed but we gathered that the police authority holding him in Abuja have not been able to file any charge against him  neither were they able to arraign him before any court.

One of those who visited him at the FCID, Bukky Shonibare said  Daniel Ojukwu a qualified journalist has been wearing the same clothes since Wednesday, May 1, when he was abducted by the police.

This is not the first time that the police will be having a brawl with him.  He was detained in February 2020, while he was working with AN24.net. 

On that occasion, he was arrested by FCID, Lagos for  anchoring the story, “Behold Pastor Who Allegedly Enjoys Luring Teenage Girls Into Illicit Relationship” published on February 14, 2020.

The story is about one Pastor Chima Enukoha, described as the Senior Pastor of the Freedom Covenant City Church (FCCC) in Surulere accused by some teenage girls of attempts to lure them into illicit relationships with him.

On that occasion he was released after spending some time in a police cell. He was neither charged with any offence, nor was he arraigned.

The  only crime he committed was that he unearthed what the elites want  to suppress, which is the primary focus of journalism. Daniel Ojukwu should be encourage for helping the police to unearth criminals. He should not be hounded down.  #FreeDanielOjukwu

Daniel Ojukwu was trained at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree. He recently finished his National Youth Service Corps, NYSc and joined Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ. 

He still reports for FIJ before he was abducted.