Two journalists with the Emirates Online media outlet, Mr. Muttaka Khumasy and Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan Suleja, have been arrested by the Nigerian Police following their report alleging that the Chairman of Suleja Local Government Area in Niger State, Hon. Isyaku Bawa Naibi, forged his secondary school certificate.
According to media reports, their arrests took place on Friday, February 16, 2026, in Suleja, Niger State, shortly after the report was published. Questions have since been raised regarding the authenticity of the local government chairman’s academic credentials.
Reports have it that the journalists were initially detained in Suleja before being transferred to the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja, where they remain in custody.
Their arrest has sparked widespread concern over press freedom in Nigeria and the protection of journalists reporting on matters of public interest.
