Main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the “immediate release” of Premium Times reporter, Samuel Ogundipe, who was arrested and detained by the police over a report.
PDP said the continued detention of Ogundipe was “against his fundamental right to freedom as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended).”
According to a statement issued by its spokesperson,, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was “only reminiscent military Decree 4 of 1984” that empowers then dictatorial regime to arrest and detain journalists over reports considered to be against its interest.
The opposition party also condemned the alleged denial of personal freedom and manhandling of the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, and its education correspondent, Azeezat Adedigba by the police.
In the statement, PDP insisted that the “incessant clampdown on journalists and media houses by the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration is completely unacceptable in a democracy and only reminiscent of military Decree 4 of 1984 that empowers then dictatorial regime to arrest and detain journalists over reports considered to be against its interest.
“We call on the general media and all lovers of democracy and free speech in the country to speak out against the unabating assault on the media by the APC administration as such poses a huge threat to our democracy and the rights of citizens in our country.”