Police Boss threatens Journalists with
Arrest for Sensational Stories
On August 16, 2007, Mr. Yomi Onashile, the Commissioner of Police in
Ekiti State South West Nigeria, threatened to arrest, detain and
prosecute any journalist who engages in sensational reporting.
The Police boss, who addressed a press conference in his office, to
which only journalists from broadcast media were invited, alleged that
some journalists from the print medium were biased in their reportage of
crime since he assumed office as Commissioner of Police in the State.
Mr. Matthew Dike, the Ekiti State Correspondent of The Sun
newspapers’, was invited on August 14, 2007, by the Police boss who
threatened to detain the journalist for writing that crime situation in
the State had worsened since Onashile assumed duty in July and comparing
his tenure with that of his predecessor.
Dike was left off the hook following the intervention of some senior
Police officers. He was however warned that he would be detained if he
reports any inciting story.
Mr. Onashile also accused newspapers’ journalists of blowing news
stories on crime out of proportion, citing the reporting of the arson on
the country home of a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association
(NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) at Ikere in Ekiti State.
An Akure based
legal practitioner and human rights activist, Mr. Morakinyo Ogele, took
Mr. Yomi Onasile to court sequel to his threat to deal with any
journalist who reported what amounted to a sensational report.
The lawyer said he
filed the suit to prevent further harassment, intimidation and threat to
lives of journalists in the state over media reports on the activities
of criminals in the state.
Mr. Ogele filed his
motion at the state high court registry on August 20, 2007 pursuant to
order 1 rule 2 (1), (2), (3) and (6) of the Fundamental (Enforcement
Procedure) Rule 1979 and section 46 of the 1999 constitution. He is the
coordinator of Ekiti Democratic Coalition |
