The Arewa Online Publishers has called on the Inspector General of Police Mr Solomon Arase to caution his Kafuna state commissioners to desist from meddling in the constitutional responsibilities of the press by releasing Mr Jacob Onjewu Dickson immediately
Loading ...The group also strongly condemn the arrest by the police, of a Kaduna-based online journalist, Mr Jacob Onjewu Dickson, of Authentic News Daily, for Allege incitement.
The Kaduna state police command, had on Thursday invited Jacob to it command headquarters for a report he published on the crisis that erupted Sunday night between Angwan-Yaro and Badarawa Kwaru community in kaduna.
The Forum in a statement signed by its chairman, Ibrahim Mordecai, said it is improper for the police to arrest a journalist for performing his constitutionally guaranteed duties.
“Arewa Online Publishers, having read through the full content of the story entitled;El-Rufai stoned by angry youths as crisis breaks out in part of Kaduna’, found nothing inciting in the body of the story.
“Professionally, the reporter made various attempts to reach the governor’s spokesperson and the Kaduna state police command spokesperson (PPRO), for the purposes of balancing his story as contained in the report.
“But in their characteristic manner of selecting the journalists’ calls they pick, failed to respond to his calls; and the reporter must perform his duties hence, his report,” the group said.
The statement further said, “the Forum perceived the arrest of Jacob as the manifestation of the ‘hand of Esau and voice of Jacob ‘. This is because, when a ‘witch cries in the night and a child dies in the morning, who killed the child? – this forum with its ears to the ground and nose, nosing around is in full picture of the visit of two state government Maggi to the police command where we suspect that the arrest must have been masterminded.”
The forum therefore demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Jacob Onjewu Dickson from police custody.
The forum calls on the Inspector General of Police to caution his state commissioners to desist from meddling in the constitutional responsibilities of the press.
“We also call on the National Assembly and the Civil Societies Organisations (CSO) to join in condemning this utter dictatorial, senseless and undemocratic attitudes against the media.
