The Nigeria Police Force’s Federal Capital Territory Command has denied conducting a raid on the Peoples Gazette newspaper’s Abuja headquarters.
Anaedoonline.ng previously stated that Peoples Gazette alleged that five armed police officers broke into the newspaper’s office across from NNPC Quarters in Utako at approximately 12:35 p.m. and took away John Adenekan, an assistant managing editor.
The authorities sought to speak with managing editor Samuel Ogundipe and reporter Adefemola Akintade but declined to give a motive for their claimed assault.
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Due to the absence of both journalists during the operation, the cops were forced to arrest Adenekan in their place, continuing an unconstitutional practice of detaining acquaintances in the absence of persons of interest.
After the raid, according to Adenekan, he was escorted to the Utako police station.
Later, the publication said that the police returned to make four additional arrests, making a total of five employees currently being held by the police for unknown reasons.
The Command’s spokesman, DSP Josephine Adeh, refuted the allegation that its agents searched the publication in an interview with Newsmen on Friday.
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Adeh claimed that a petition accusing the newspaper’s staff of defaming the former Chief of Army Personnel, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, was the only reason the police had summoned the newspaper’s staff for questioning (rtd).
The Nigerian Union of Journalists was lso carried along, according to the police spokeswoman, who claimed that the police had just invited them for further inquiry.
She said, “Our officers did not raid any media house. We don’t raid media houses because we know better, and media houses are not criminal hideouts.
“Someone had written a petition accusing the newspaper of defamation of character. The newspaper was accused of defaming the character of the former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. However, we got a warrant from the court to invite them for questioning.
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“So, the fact of the matter is that there was a petition against Peoples Gazette, and they are not above the law. So, if someone had written a petition against them, the right thing to do is to invite them, and that was what we did.
“We invited them for further investigation, and we carried the Nigerian Union of Journalists along on this matter. We’re not taking any action behind the NUJ, and there is also a warrant from the court to invite Peoples Gazette for questioning.
“We have no malicious intent for inviting them. Our officers went to Peoples Gazette office this morning to invite them to come to give a statement in response to the petition at the Utako police station. And as I speak to you, the NUJ Secretary is with them at the Utako police station as they’re making their statements.”
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