Army Detains Journalist
A journalist with Next newspaper was detained for four hours by authorities of the Nigerian Army for a military cantonment to investigate the fire incident that engulfed the Manny market last week
Our reporter learnt that on Tuesday, 15 February, Patience Ogbo, a reporter with Next newspaper went to Ikeja Military Cantonment to investigate the fire incident that reduced the mammy market to ashes recently.
While going about her duties, having successfully entered the cantonment, she was challenged by some soldiers for taking pictures of the market with her camera. There and then, Miss Ogbo was arrested and whisked away to the office of the Brigadier-General S. N. Muazu, Commander of Ikeja Military Cantonment for interrogations
A soldier, who pleaded not to be mentioned, said that on arrival at the office of the commander, they discovered that he was around and the reporter was subsequently believed of her phone and camera and detained for four hours, before the commander arrived
Speaking with our reporter on the issue, Ogbo said that when Muara was called on phone, he ordered that she should be detained pending his arrival, for not getting proper authorization before entering the cantonment to conduct investigations into the fire disaster.
She further explained that when the commander arrived his office, he ordered her to write a statement to the effect that she will not come to the cantonment to investigate any incident whatsoever.
“However, when I refused, insisting that I should first contact my lawyer before writing such statement, some soldiers threatened to deal with me.
“But after sometime, the commander ordered me under durex to write an apology letter, which I eventually did after much persuasions,” she said.
The Commander was not around when our reporter visited Ikeja Military Cantonment to speak with him Wednesday on the issue. But, a soldier at the cantonment confirmed the incident.
A journalist with Next newspaper was detained for four hours by authorities of the Nigerian Army for a military cantonment to investigate the fire incident that engulfed the Manny market last week
Our reporter learnt that on Tuesday, 15 February, Patience Ogbo, a reporter with Next newspaper went to Ikeja Military Cantonment to investigate the fire incident that reduced the mammy market to ashes recently.
While going about her duties, having successfully entered the cantonment, she was challenged by some soldiers for taking pictures of the market with her camera. There and then, Miss Ogbo was arrested and whisked away to the office of the Brigadier-General S. N. Muazu, Commander of Ikeja Military Cantonment for interrogations
A soldier, who pleaded not to be mentioned, said that on arrival at the office of the commander, they discovered that he was around and the reporter was subsequently believed of her phone and camera and detained for four hours, before the commander arrived
Speaking with our reporter on the issue, Ogbo said that when Muara was called on phone, he ordered that she should be detained pending his arrival, for not getting proper authorization before entering the cantonment to conduct investigations into the fire disaster.
She further explained that when the commander arrived his office, he ordered her to write a statement to the effect that she will not come to the cantonment to investigate any incident whatsoever.
“However, when I refused, insisting that I should first contact my lawyer before writing such statement, some soldiers threatened to deal with me.
“But after sometime, the commander ordered me under durex to write an apology letter, which I eventually did after much persuasions,” she said.
The Commander was not around when our reporter visited Ikeja Military Cantonment to speak with him Wednesday on the issue. But, a soldier at the cantonment confirmed the incident.
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