Four armed men suspected to be operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday arrested a journalist, Jones Abiri, in Bayelsa State.
Abiri is the publisher of Weekly Source Newspaper based in Bayelsa. He was arrested on Saturday at about 4:30 p.m.
Abiri was incarcerated from 2016 to 2018 by DSS for alleged links to Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, a separatist group.
An eyewitness who did not want to be named said Abiri was with some colleagues at his office at Azikoro junction of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, when the armed men arrived at the scene in a white Hilux Van and black Prado Jeep.
The men dragged Abiri into one of the vehicles and drove off, threatening to shoot anyone who resisted.
A journalist who witnessed the incident, Austin Bodo, said: “We were sitting outside his office when a black Prado jeep and white Hilux drove into the premises in commando style.
“As they packed, two men carrying the type of guns used by DSS operatives jumped out of one of the cars and said Abiri was under arrest and immediately started dragging him and forced him into one of the cars and drove off.”
When contacted, a DSS Official, who preferred anonymity, said: “I only heard of it from a journalist friend; I don’t think it is our men from here.”
