The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) says an On-Air Personality, Rotimi Jolayemi, aka Oba Akewi, has been illegally detained for 12 days by the Federal Investigation Bureau of the Nigeria Police Force, Abuja.
The committee made the allegation in a statement on Monday by its national president, Osagie Obayuwana.
Oba Akewi was said to have recited a poem on air which was critical of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
“Mr Jolayemi is said to have been arrested by the police at the instance of the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on account of a poem read over the radio, considered critical of the minister,” the CDHR said in the statement.
“It is worrisome that Alhaji Lai Mohammed would have a hand in the arrest of the wife of Mr Jolayemi, Mrs Dorcas Jolayemi, and two of his brothers who were kept in detention for eight days, nine days and two days respectively as hostages, while the journalist, Mr Rotimi Jolayemi, was being sought.
“Furthermore, that even since Mr Jolayemi surrendered himself to the police headquarters at Ilorin, Kwara State on May 6, 2020, he is still being held till date, 12 days later, without being charged to court or granted bail.”
Detaining the journalist’s relatives because of his refusal to show up, the CDHR said, was in violation of Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which forbids hostage-taking and the arrest of any person in place of another.
The minister’s spokesman, Segun Adeyemi, however, denied the allegation.
“The minister did not order the arrest of anyone. Kindly direct your inquiry to the appropriate authorities,” he told Punch.
