Despite Pictorial Evidence, Nigeria Police Deny Arresting Journalist, Jide Oyekunle In Abuja

Despite pictorial evidence and witnesses, the Nigeria Police Force, FCT Command has denied arresting a Daily Independent journalist, Jide Oyekunle in Abuja while covering the ongoing nationwide hunger protest.

Oyekunle, a photojournalist with Daily Independent was arrested by the police while covering the #EndBadGovernance protest at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Thursday.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the arrest of Jide Oyekunle, who is the Correspondence chairman of Nigerian Union of Journalists, FCT Chapel, was ordered by the police commissioner, Ben Igweh, when he arrived at the venue of the protest.

However, despite the pictorial evidence of a police officer forcefully jerking Oyekunle as he held the journalist’s waist, the command’s spokesperson Josephine Adeh, in a statement denied that the police arrested the journalist.

The police spokesperson said, “The FCT police command wishes to debunk the narrative making the rounds about the arrest of a photojournalist, Jide Oyekunle in the ongoing protest taking place around the eagle square, Abuja.

“Mr Jide Oyekunle was rather taken away from the perceived unsafe environment for his own safety after being advised to leave where he was standing to a safer location and he declined, as some of the protesters had suddenly become violent.

“While the protest is ongoing, it remains the duty of the police to protect lives and property.”