How Delta Gov Sheriff ambushed journo Fejiro Oliver, whisked him to Asaba in private jet after damning story
Nigerian journalist and publisher of Secret Reporters, Tega Oghenedoro, famously known as Fejiro Oliver, was on Friday seized in Abuja by the police and flown to Delta State ostensibly on the orders of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Senator Ede Dafinone, Peoples Gazette can confirm.
Mr Oliver was arrested at his office in Abuja and immediately flown to Asaba, the Delta State capital, aboard a private jet linked to the governor. He was handed over to operatives at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), where he has since been detained.
The journalist, known for his hard-hitting investigative pieces, had recently published a report critical of Mr Oborevwori and Mr Dafinone. The publication, sources said, triggered the abduction.
“He was not treated as a citizen exercising his right to free expression,” one source told The Gazette. “Instead, he was treated like a fugitive. They didn’t even bother to disguise it — a sitting governor and a senator essentially commandeered the police to do their dirty work.”
The Gazette learned that Mr Oliver has been denied access to his lawyers since arriving in Asaba, a deliberate attempt at breaking his spirit and frustrating his defence ahead of his expected arraignment on Monday.
It was learnt that the police are relying on the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, to detain and prosecute the journalist.
As of Saturday, Mr Oliver remained in custody at FCID Asaba under tight police watch. His arraignment on Monday is expected to spark legal fireworks, with his lawyers vowing to challenge both the legality of the charges and the manner of his arrest.
Mr Oborevwori and Mr Dafinone have not publicly commented on the matter. When contacted, the spokesperson for the Delta Police command, Bright Edafe, said he was not privy to the development, citing his absence from duty. “I don’t have the details now because I’m not around,” Mr Edafe told our correspondent.
Spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, Benjamin Humdeyin, did not respond to inquiries as of press time.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Audit stolen PVCs before Osun governorship poll, Yiaga Africa tells INEC
Yiaga Africa said the disruption of PVC distribution and theft of voting materials posed a direct risk to the voting rights of affected residents in the state.
States
NEMA, UNICEF strengthen emergency response in Gombe
NEMA and UNICEF strengthened emergency response through community engagement training in Gombe.
States
My statement was misinterpreted; I told APC supporters to kill Accord Party members with votes: Fadahunsi
Mr Fadahunsi said the viral video was deliberately edited to distort his statement.
Economy
TUC backs private sector equity in refineries, rejects outright sale
Mr Osifo said the government should reduce its equity to 49 per cent and allow credible private investors with technical expertise to hold the remaining 51 per cent.
Africa
Obasanjo urges Africa to develop its own democracy model
He said the democratic model adopted by African countries lacked sufficient African context and often failed to meet the continent’s needs.
Economy
Stock market reverses gains as investors lose N1.17 trillion amid sell-offs
Market capitalisation fell by 0.73 per cent from N160.421 trillion to N159.255 trillion, while the All-Share Index (ASI) shed 1,806.18 points to close at 246,723.57.
