IPC Condemns Journalist Detention in Ekiti, slamming police abuse of Sodeeq Atanda and harassment of Abdulaziz Aliyu in Kano
Atanda was detained on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the Ekiti State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti after honouring a police invitation.
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The summons was based on a petition by Professor Abayomi Fasina, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, alleging cyberbullying, blackmail and criminal defamation.
According to the International Press Centre’s Safety and Protection of Journalists hub, Atanda was held for more than eight hours under the orders of Commissioner of Police Joseph Eribo.
He was forced to walk barefoot within the station premises and subjected to stringent bail conditions, treatment that the IPC described as degrading and unacceptable.
Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, condemned the police action as “an attempt to stifle press freedom and intimidate journalists reporting on matters of public interest”.
He urged the police to refrain from being used by powerful individuals to silence the media.
The SPJ Hub also raised concerns over the harassment of Abdulaziz Aliyu, a reporter with Waraka Online TV in Kano, who has allegedly faced repeated intimidation and was previously detained over a publication.
Yakubu Salisu, Chairman of the Association of Kano Online Journalists, confirmed the matter, stressing that Aliyu’s ordeal stemmed from a months-old report.
The IPC reiterated that if authorities or individuals have grievances with journalistic work, the proper legal channels should be pursued rather than resorting to unlawful arrests or intimidation.
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The growing trend of targeting journalists, it warned, undermines Nigeria’s democracy and threatens the free flow of information.
