BudgIT, a Nigerian organisation promoting transparency and accountability, has demanded the immediate release of Daniel Ojukwu, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) journalist abducted by the police last Wednesday.
Ojukwu is a 2023 GovSpend Fellow, which is a BudgIT media fellowship. The journalist was abducted by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on May 1 and has since been unlawfully detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos.
While condemning the arbitrary abduction and continued detention of its 2023 fellow via a statement released on its X page on Saturday, BudgIT averred that the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and subsequent detention were troubling.
READ ALSO: Police Abduct FIJ Reporter Daniel Ojukwu ‘On IGP’s Orders’
The statement partly reads: “His sudden disappearance, with his phones switched off and whereabouts unknown to his colleagues, family, and friends, raises serious concerns about his safety and well-being.
READ ALSO: FIJ Journalist Assaulted, Detained for Investigating Land Grabbers In Epe
“It is alarming that Daniel Ojukwu’s family only became aware of his detention after a private detective hired by FIJ tracked his phone’s last active location to an address in Isheri Olofin, which the police now acknowledge as the place of his arrest. This lack of transparency and accountability by the authorities is unacceptable and violates Daniel’s fundamental rights.
“More troubling is the denial of Daniel Ojukwu’s access to legal representation. In addition, the timing of Daniel Ojukwu’s abduction on World Press Freedom Day is a stark reminder of the challenges journalists face in Nigeria. Journalists’ arrest for simply carrying out their duties undermines press freedom and the right to freedom of expression, which are enshrined in international human rights instruments.”
FIJ had highlighted at least 11 Nigerian journalists, including Daniel, who have been arrested and detained by state actors since Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023.
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