REAL REASON IGP Idris Ordered Detention Of Premium Times Reporter

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PREMIUM TIMES has uncovered the real reason the Nigeria police last week detained its reporter, Samuel Ogundipe.



Mr Ogundipe was lured into police net on August 14, where he was pressed to reveal a source for a story he wrote.

A day later, he was secretly arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja, and accused of criminal trespass and illegal possession of document.

The document was a report of police investigation of the blockade of the National Assembly by the State Security Service (SSS).

Curiously, the alleged offensive story was published by many other news platforms, some even ahead of PREMIUM TIMES.

Fresh revelations have now shown that the ordeal of the journalist was indeed at the behest of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, contrary to the claim of the police.

Multiple sources around him said Mr Idris is unhappy with the journalist over previous reports on his activities, and has been shopping for an excuse to “deal” with him.

Mr Ogundipe was taken into custody in a subterfuge operation, after the police deceived another PREMIUM TIMES journalist, Azeezat Adedigba, into answering summons for a fake case.

From August 11, Ms Adedigba was brought under pressure from one Emmanuel Onyeneho, who presented himself as a police officer investigating a case of fraud in which her name and number came up.

When she asked that she be formally invited if the police had any case against her, the police sent an invitation letter on Monday.

However, when the journalist reported to the offices of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Guzape on August 14, she and PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, were detained and asked to produce Mr Ogundipe.

Immediately Mr Ogundipe showed up, Ms Adedigba was asked to go, while the two journalists were driven to the police headquarters where Mr Ogundipe was made to write a statement. He was in police custody for three days.

A deputy commissioner of police, Sani Ahmadu, who interrogated the reporter insisted he name his source for the story on the police interim report on their investigation of the incident at the National Assembly.

After deceiving Mr Ogundipe’s lawyer that no action would be taken on the issue till 4:00pm on August 15, the police secretly arraigned the journalist before a court in Kubwa in the afternoon.

In a summary court sitting, Mr Ogundipe was charged with criminal trespass and theft of police document.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge granted the police five more days to keep the reporter in custody, but reviewed his decision and granted him bail on August 17.

Axe To Grind
PREMIUM TIMES understands that Mr Ogundipe was long targeted for persecution by the police authorities.

Insiders said Mr Idris had been angry with Mr Ogundipe since his report in February revealing the Inspector-General’s disregard for a presidential directive to move to Benue State in the heat of killings by suspected herdsmen in the state.

A story by Mr Ogundipe published by PREMIUM TIMES showed that contrary to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari for the IG to move to the restive Benue, the man was actually elsewhere at the time.

With the escalating violence in the North-central state, the president ordered the police chief to move in and ensure restoration of peace and order.

The Benue State Governor, Samule Ortom, later said Mr Idris spent only a day in the state, contrary to the directive. He accused the police chief of complicity in the deadly crisis in his state.

President Buhari would later publicly express regret over the disobedience, promising to investigate why his directive was not obeyed by Mr Idris.

Multiple sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the February report iss what Mr Idris is still holding against the journalist.

“The man was really angered by those reports on Benue, and it is probably what he is trying to avenge. I know that really touched his nerves,” said one source close to the police chief, who requested anonymity for fear of harassment.




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