After nine days in police custody, journalist Daniel Ojukwu of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has been released.
Ojukwu had been detained by police since May 1 following his alleged abduction by officers in Lagos.
Ojukwu’s family and FIJ management were unaware of his whereabouts for 48 hours after he went missing.
He was later taken to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police before being transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).
The police imposed strict bail conditions through FIJ’s lawyers and negotiators, but softened their stance after civil society organizations marched to the Force Headquarters demanding Ojukwu’s release. He was eventually released on Friday.
FIJ’s lawyer, Abimbola Ojenike, described Ojukwu’s case as one of the most severe instances of human rights violations and abuse of police power against journalists.