Police Rearrest LEADERSHIP Editors

The Nigeria Police Force yesterday rearrested and detained the LEADERSHIP Newspapers’ group news editor Mr Tony Amokeodo and political correspondent Mr Chibuzo Ukaibe.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the duo were driven to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) headquarters’ detention centre and locked up.

The latest move by the police, seen as a further attempt to frustrate the newspaper and its journalists, as well as muzzle the media, is coming barely one week after the duo were detained for over 24 hours alongside the director, human capital, Mrs Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe, and the managing editor, Mr Chuks Ohuegbe, following a story on a presidential directive targeted at the country’s opposition political parties that LEADERSHIP carried.

Amokeodo and Ukaibe had reportedly gone to the Louis Edet Police Force headquarters in company of the company’s lawyer to honour part of the conditions for their release during the last detention when they were informed that they would not be allowed to leave. 

LEADERSHIP learnt that the journalists tried to find out from their abductors why they were being rearrested and detained when they had been informed that they could go to court if they had any grievances against the journalists or the newspaper, but the officers assigned to them refused to comment.

However, a source inside the force headquarters told LEADERSHIP that the two journalists were driven to the SARS headquarters specially designed for the detention of suspected hardened criminals and terrorists. The source said the police were likely to charge the journalists to court this morning.

The SARS detention centre recently came under attack when suspected Boko Haram members invaded it, killed several SARS security operatives and allegedly set free over 100 detained Boko Haram members.

When LEADERSHIP contacted the force public relations officers, CSP Frank Mba, to comment on the latest arrest, Mba said he was not aware of the incident.

He said he was currently in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, and would make contact with the Force Headquarters on the issue
As at the time of going to press, Mba had not responded to our correspondent’s enquiries.



-- Leadership

Leadership Newspapers journalists, Tony Amokoedo and Chibuizor Ukaibe, were Tuesday slammed with a ten-count charge of forgery before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

They were re-arrested Monday and detained at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, detention centre in Abuja.

•Leadership Newspapers journalists, Tony Amokoedo and Chibuizor Ukaibe, docked on a ten-count charge of forgery before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja, Tuesday.

The had earlier been detained last week for publishing a report on a ‘presidential directive’ to attack key party leaders of the opposition parties.
The Presidency, smarting from the embarrassing report, had disowned the document, claiming it was forged and this prompted the police to compel the journalists to disclose the source of their information.

After they were detained for more than 24 hours last week released on bail, they were asked to report to the police every working day.
It was in the course of honouring that invitation that they were re-arrested yesterday and charged to court today.

The journalists had sued the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, claiming the sum of N10 million each for breach of their fundamental human right. - Sahara