'Flies that does not exhibit caution, joins the corpse into the grave' African proverb.
Condemnation of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was awash in the media over
forceful arrest and harassment of journalists to disclose source of damning
report purportedly enmeshed with errors as part of correspondence by the
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. REMMY NWEKE in this report wondered
if that will bring about the needed change in SARS given the avalanche of
undercurrents.
Preamble:
Yes, it started like a
drama, every Tuesday, one national redirection; after the siege of the National
Assembly the previous Tuesday and defection gale of some Federal legislators,
the previous week.
That on Tuesday, while
the Nigeria Police arm of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was perfecting
the arrest and harassment of Samuel Ogundipe of Premium Times, his
Editor-In-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, and Education Reporter, Azeezat Adedigba, the
noble office of the acting president, Prof. Yomi Osinbajo, decided on its fate
by directing Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris to reform SARS and
restrict operations within its mandate, amidst recent social media campaign
with the hashtag #EndSARS on its high-handedness in policing Nigeria entity.
Premium
Times reporter, arrested:
Ogundipe was arrested
over a report on a correspondence sent by IGP Ibrahim Idris, to acting
President Osinbajo on the sacked Director-General of the Department of State
Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, even as Daura was dismissed a week earlier by
Osinbajo for illegally deploying DSS operatives to the National Assembly in a
show of bully force.
The Publisher, Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, confirmed
the arrest of Ogundipe to ITREALMS, and
demands by SARS for the source of damning and error-filled report the IGP
Idris, sent to Osinbajo on the sacked Director-General of the Department of
State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.
“Premium Times hereby calls for the immediate release of
its reporter, Samuel Ogundipe, who was detained on Tuesday by Nigeria Police
over a report. On the day the Nigerian presidency was complaining about the
excesses of a unit in the police, the same unit was forcing a Premium Times journalist
to disclose his source,” Olorunyomi said, stressing that Messrs Mojeed and Ogundipe
were driven from SARS headquarters in Abuja to IGP Monitoring Unit at Force
Headquarters where Mr Ogundipe was made to write a statement, whereas a Deputy
Commissioner of Police at the IGP Monitoring Unit, Sani Ahmadu, was heard
directing lawyers to ‘rush to court’ to obtain a warrant to detain Mr.
Ogundipe.
Unacceptable
abridgement of professional privileges:
Condemning gestapo manner in which the Police took Mr
Ogundipe into custody, he insisted on his immediate and unconditional release, labeling
the detention as gross violation of his rights, the Nigerian laws and all
democratic tenets; and is an unacceptable abridgement of his citizenship and
professional privileges.
“This heavy-handed treatment of a journalist against whom
no case of violation of the law has been made is an embarrassment to Nigeria
and advertises the country as disdainful of its own laws and democratic
practice. We wonder what the Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, finds
attractive in making Nigeria a laughing stock at a time the eyes of the
civilised world are on the country as it approaches a milestone in the
development of its democracy,” Olorunyomi said, and called on then Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo to direct the Police to release Mr Ogundipe immediately
and unconditionally.
The National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists
(NUJ), Abdulwaheed Odusile, also condemned the arrest of Ogundipe, declaring
that NUJ was horrified by the constant harassment and molestation of
Journalists by the Police and other agents of the State and requested that such
should abate forthwith.
Odusile noted that confidentiality of sources is
necessary for good journalism to flourish and Journalists should not be coerced
into revealing such sources, insisting on immediate and unconditional release
of Samuel Ogundipe and an end to all forms of impunity against the media.”
#FreeSamuelOgundipe hashtag trends
gains moment:
About
24 hours later, the Nigerian Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood denied knowledge
of the arrest and detention of Premium Times journalist, Samuel Ogundipe, just
as the hashtag #FreeSamuelOgundipe on Twitter trends since Tuesday, August 14,
2018.
Speaking
on AIT programme, Kakaaki, Wednesday morning, Moshood, insisted, no Nigerian is
beyond being arrested by the police when an investigation is being carried out,
and denied knowledge of arrest of Mr. Ogundipe.
“I
am not aware of the details of the matter. But what I can say is that any
Nigerian, whether a journalist or any member of the public can be invited by an
investigating officer to come around so that he or she can clear themselves of
any allegations against them. Since you are telling me now, I will find out
exactly what is happening,” Mr Moshood was quoted as saying, meanwhile the
hashtag #FreeSamuelOgundipe on Twitter has trended since Tuesday with many
tweeting at the police.
Outcry against assault on press
freedom:
Reacting,
the Director, International Press Centre (IPC), Lanre Arogundade,
described the arrest, harassment and detention of journalists as a “clear
assault on press freedom and a threat to the safety of the detained journalist
and his colleagues.”
He
reminded Police that 2011 Freedom of Information Act (FoI) in Section 16
subsection C, confers on the media 'Journalism Confidentiality Privileges' and
as such should desist from engaging in unconstitutional acts, asserting, “We
condemn the arrests and detention of the concerned journalists and hereby
demand the immediate release of Mr. Ogundipe.”
Journalists ethically
bound to protect sources:
Equally, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Africa Programme Coordinator, Angela Quintal, reacted from Johannesburg, South Africa, saying, “CPJ is gravely concerned by reports that Premium Times journalist Samuel Ogundipe was detained by Nigerian Police for his report.
Equally, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Africa Programme Coordinator, Angela Quintal, reacted from Johannesburg, South Africa, saying, “CPJ is gravely concerned by reports that Premium Times journalist Samuel Ogundipe was detained by Nigerian Police for his report.
“Samuel Ogundipe must be released
immediately without any condition and be allowed to report without fear of
reprisal; Journalists are ethically bound not to disclose their confidential
sources and the fact that police reportedly arrested him because he refused to
name his source is outrageous,” CPJ said, insisting that “Samuel Ogundipe, is a
journalist who is protecting his sources, and not a criminal. He must be freed
now.”
Nemesis
of notorious SARS:
For Guild of Corporate
Online Publishers (GOCOP), via its Publicity Secretary, Olumide Iyanda,
condemned the arrest of Ogundipe by SARS and harassment of the online
newspaper’s Editor-In-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, and Education Reporter, Azeezat
Adedigba, both of who have been released.
GOCOP noted with
disappointment that the Police action was carried out on the day Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo ordered the restructuring of the dreaded SARS, which is
notorious for blatant human rights abuses. Thus, it considered the
circumstances of the journalist’s arrest as a damning indictment of the
President Muhammadu Buhari Government, which has been accused by several groups
and individuals of gross abuse of citizens’ rights.
Ogundipe
lauded for professionalism:
GOCOP pointed out that
Ogundipe’s commendable refusal to disclose the source of his report is the
reason the Police held on to him in flagrant disregard for the Nigerian
Constitution, which states that the Press shall at all times be free to hold
the government accountable to the people.
Besides, GOCOP
condemned the arrest and harassment of journalists in whatever form, urging
Nigerian Government to lecture its security agents on the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act, which confers ‘Journalism Confidentiality
Privileges’ on the media, hence, requested release of Ogundipe, other
journalists held by the Police and other government agencies without further
delay.
Overhauling
SARS, Applause for IGP, but …
Though President, Association of Industrial Security and
Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), Dr. Ona Ekhomu, applauded IGP Idris on
adherence to overhaul SARS, whose has become synonymous with human rights
abuses, depicts the government was responsive to the concerns and complaints of
citizens.
He underscored the fact that new administrative measure
centralizing SARS in IGP’s office was a mistaken strategy which will deepen
lack of accountability of the unit, and said the problem with SARS is
excessively violent behavior which involve brutality, torture, high-hardened
extra-judicial murders and so on.
For him, it was a ‘big mistake’ to relocate SARS from FCID
to Operations Directorate, pointing out that SARS, as a tactical/detective unit
naturally and operationally resides in the Investigations Directorate. Reform,
he said, must be aimed at improving process activities, service delivery, and
quality of service but reform should never be for its own sake.
“However, due to poor supervision and a culture of
corruption, the squad went rogue - torturing, maiming and killing as alleged by
the #ENDSARS campaigners and Amnesty International. The strong-arm tactics of
SARS has tainted the entire police force and created a gulf between the people
and the police agency. That is why people ‘fear’ the police, and refused to
give information that could help in solving crimes. Unfortunately, citizen
trust and co-operation are vital in effective policing,” he lamented.
Summary:
There is no doubt, SARS has taken an overhaul, which
happened after a long time and #EndSARS campaign as well as outcry from all
quarters and particularly by the media.
Although the overhaul by the current IGP Idris may not be
holistic, there is room for improved relationship between the security agencies
and Police precisely and the public, who they claim is their friend. The
question is whether the public actually believe in the prism that “Police is
your friend” and if they, populace, accepted the friendship claim after all,
rather than the fear-induced relationship.
Noteworthy is the allegations of poor supervision and a
culture of corruption, which led to the squad becoming a ‘rogue agent’ for
torture, maiming and killing.
In addition, is examination of the evident strong-arm
tactics of SARS which left Police with tainted gulf between the people and the
police agency, and which adversely affected citizens’ trust and co-operation
vital for effective policing, so the earlier this is dealt with directly, the
Osinbajo dream of reformed SARS to finally damn its highhandedness on citizens may
be a short-lived political mirage.
*Remmy Nweke/ED,Ops
