Amnesty International has condemned President Bola Tinubu-led government over the arrest and prolonged detention of Daniel Ojukwu, Foundation for Investigative Journalism’s reporter, by Nigerian police over a story exposing corruption. 

The human rights organisation, in a tweet on Wednesday, lamented the prolonged detention of Mr Ojukwu, condemning Nigerian authorities for punishing journalists for exposing corruption. 

“Investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu is still unlawfully detained solely for doing his job,” Amnesty International said.

“The Nigerian authorities must end punishing journalists who are dedicated to ending pervasive culture of impunity that allows corrupt practices to go unpunished. #FreeDanielOjukwu.”

Wednesday made it a week after Mr Ojukwu was secretly arrested and kept behind bars by the Nigerian police. The Nigerian Police confirmed that Mr Ojukwu was in their custody on Sunday, five days after his sudden disappearance.

“It has been confirmed that the journalist, Daniel Ojukwu, was arrested by the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre, Abuja, based on a petition filed against him,” police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi told journalists on Sunday. 

“It’s a case of violation of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act 2015 and other extant laws of the land. He has a case to answer. This was confirmed to me on Sunday by the CP and head of the centre,” he added. 

A week after Mr Ojukwu was arrested, the police have failed to charge him to court while denying the journalist access to his employer and lawyer, Peoples Gazette learnt on Wednesday.

“They’re deliberately keeping him,” Fisayo Soyombo, FIJ’s publisher, told The Gazette, adding that the Nigerian police “are determined not to release him.”

“They haven’t charged him to court. They haven’t even grilled him; they just dumped him in a cell. They are denying lawyers access to him as well.” 

Mr Adejob did not pick up calls when The Gazette reached him to ask why the police had failed to charge the journalist in court. A text message sent to Mr Adejobi has not been replied.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday that Nigerian authorities should immediately release Mr Ojukwu and stop intimidating and arresting members of the press who investigate the government’s spending of public funds.