…Seeks his immediate release
The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) has condemned the continued detention of Cross River Watch Publisher, Mr. Agba Jalingo, who was picked up from his home in Lagos on August 22nd, 2019 about 4:25pm and taken to Calabar by men of the Nigeria Police identified as Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
Mr. Agba Jalingo had earlier been invited by the Cross river Police Command for questioning on the news report he published on how the State Governor, Ben Ayade approved and diverted funds totaling about N500 million meant for the Cross River Micro Finance Bank.
However, NOPRIN in a statement signed on Friday by its National Coordinator of NOPRIN, Ikule Emmanuel observed that it was worrisome that while the Police in the state agreed to Mr. Jalingo’s request to meet on 26th August, 2019, they still went ahead and facilitated his illegal arrest in Lagos three days before the date he agreed to honor their invitation.
“We stand with Citizens Solution Network, Coalition of Nigerian Civil Society (CNCS), International Press Center (IPC), Lagos, Association of Cross River Online Journalists (ACROJ) and Global Justice Project (GJP) to call on the Cross River State Commissioner of Police to either charge Agba Jalingo to court or have him released since it is long past the statutory 48 hours any Police authority could hold a person for interrogation.
“NOPRIN calls for the immediate release of Mr. Agba Jalingo and also call on the Inspector General of Police to beam his search light into the level of harassment, intimidation and rampant illegal detention of journalists going on in Cross River State in particular and Nigeria at large.
“End police intimidation and free all illegal detainees in facilities across the country. #FreeAgbaJalingo”, NOPRIN demanded.
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