A lawyer has accused Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun of being behind the detention of blogger Olamilekan Hammed.
The lawyer Festus Ogun said his client Mr Hammed has been in detention since honouring an invitation by the state command of the Department of State Services last Friday for allegedly publishing a story said to be on Abiodun’s alleged criminal records in the United States.
Abiodun, who is seeking re-election, has since dismissed the allegations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Ogun argued that his client was being held in contravention of the law.
“We can authoritatively confirm that Prince Olamilekan Hammed (Labash), the courageous blogger arrested for exposing the dirty criminal records of Governor Abiodun in the US has been transferred to the Ogun State Police Command by the State Security Service,” the statement said.
“I met with him in high spirit yesterday (Monday) and he further confirmed that the sole reason for his arrest was about the reports he made in respect of the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. He was forced to delete the publication and five days after his irrational arrest, he is still being kept in grave contravention of the law.
“Sections 34, 35, and 39 of the 1999 Constitution are clear that journalism is not a crime that could warrant an arrest and that the continuous detention of Hammed beyond 24 hours is a naked violation of his sacred fundamental rights.
“Dapo Abiodun, who instigated the malicious arrest, is solely responsible for the detention, brutal torture, and intimidation of Mr. Hammed. Deploying the instruments of the state to oppress a citizen-journalist merely doing his job is fascism taken too far. He should approach a civil court if he feels defamed.”
He called on Ogun State commissioner of police and the DSS to immediately release Hammed or charge him to court, should they have any case against him.
