Police officers in Bauchi State, on Saturday, arrested Haruna Mohammed, the publisher of WikkiTimes, a Bauchi-based online newspaper.

According to Yakubu Mohammed, editor of the newspaper, Haruna was arrested for filming protesters in the state who refused to vote in the general election as they had failed to get jobs under Bala Mohammed, the state governor’s administration.

Yakubu told FIJ that when Haruna was filming, thugs attempted to lynch him but the police arrived and took him away, claiming they were doing so for his safety. He said they had detained him at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) since then.

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In a press release titled ‘WikkiTimes Publisher Arrested on Order of Bauchi Governor’ and signed by Yakubu, the newspaper accused the police of violating Haruna’s rights on Bala Mohammed’s order.

Read Full Press Release:

Haruna Salihu Mohammed, Publisher of WikkiTimes, a Bauchi-based investigative online newspaper in Bauchi State, is being held at Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bauchi Police Headquarters on the order of the state governor, Bala Mohammed.

Haruna was arrested on Saturday at Duguri, the governor’s hometown, where he was covering the election.

Before the arbitral arrest, Haruna was interviewing some women who were protesting that they submitted CVs but were not employed.

During the course of the interview, the women started protesting that they would not vote.

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Soon, some hoodlums believed to be supporters of the governor attempted to lynch him before the police whisked him away.

The police had earlier explained tha he was taken away for his own safety but refused to release him until the governor gives an order.

He has spent more than 24 hours in detention, and the police would not release him until the governor’s directive.

He was accused of sending the video of the women to opposition All Progressives Congress. However, the video was shared with me, and the police had examined my phone as well after taking my statement.

The police is yet to communicate anything meaningful to the press as they continued to hold him, depriving him of his civic duty and fundamental rights.

When FIJ called Ahmed Muhammed, spokesman for the state police, he asked our reporter to reach out to the governor’s aide.

Muhammed said, “The issue of Haruna, call the SA to the governor, please. He is privy to much about it. I don’t know much about it.”

FIJ called Muktar Gidado, Bala Mohammed’s media aide, but he did not take our calls at press time. He also did not respond to a text message sent to him.

Ojukwu is a reporter with FIJ in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.