 |
| CREDITS: PREMIUMTIMES |
A reporter with Reuters News Agency, Tife Owolabi, taken in for
questioning by operatives of the Department of State Security Service in
Yenagoa, has been freed.
Mr. Owolabi, who confirmed his release on Monday, said his personal
computer, tablet device, cameras and external hard drives and memory
cards remained in the custody of the DSS. He was freed Saturday.
The Nigerian government had been accused of trying to restrict
the international media from covering the 2015 general elections by
refusing to issue visas and accreditation.
Mr. Owolabi said his ordeal at the hands of the security services had to do with his work for the foreign media platform.
“They came to my place and searched the apartment and carted away my
work tools including my mobile phones and detained me and said that they
had suspicion that I was engaged in espionage for foreign concerns.”
“I had no fears because I was sure I had not done anything in the
discharge of my duties as a journalist. They said I was unpatriotic and
held on to my working tools.”
“I am hoping that they will release those items when I return to
their office later today. I express my gratitude to fellow journalists
who stood by me and I guess it is one of the hazards of the job,” Mr.
Owolabi said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We reserve the right to delete any message found vulgarizing. Avoid crude or indecent texts..