5 NUJ Warri Correspondents' Chapel Members illegal Arrest: Union demands unreserved apology from Nigeria Police Force

5 NUJ Warri Correspondents' Chapel Members illegal  Arrest:  Union demands unreserved apology from Nigeria Police Force

Oguns Sammy

Warri_____ Nigeria Union of Journalists,  Warri Correspondent chapel has demanded 24 hours unreserved apology to the union and the journalists illegally arrested and abducted by Nigeria Police Warri  Area Command on Tuesday.

 The Journalists arrested were Omonigho  Mathew ( Daily Post), Edeki Egafe (News Agency of Nigeria), Francis Sadhere ( Business Day) , Christopher Odamah ( Delta Trumpet) and Onyeka Meluwa,,(Punch Newspaper).

 The Nigeria Police Force did not give reason for arrest  yesterday  just as the identity of  the police officers in the saga  were unknown

Commenting on  development, former Chairman  of Warri Correspondent   Chapel, Vanguard News  paper correspondent  who  is also a Barrister, Comrade Akpokona Omafuaire  said it unlawful for unknown police officers  to arrest and abduct  the journalists  without telling them the offence they committed.

He said the police claimed they arrested  them because they were looking for a person's  contact who has committed  an offence. He said the union deserve  24 hours  apology or face the wrath of the union.

He said: " this  is Nigeria, you don't just   arrests people because you are tracing one  person or the other because  you are on instruction from the Inspector General of Police(IG), this is Nigeria,and anything can happen'"

On their part,  the Ex-officio of Nigeria of Union of Journalist, State Council and A Delta Rainbow Television Correspondent, Felix Eku  and the Chairman, Warri Correspondent Chapel, Okies Vickie's.  condenmed   in strong terms the illegal arrest and detention of the five  journalists by unknown police officers  from the area command.

It would be recalled that on Tuesday at about 330 pm, a Daily Post Correspondent in Warri, Omonigho Matthew was arrested by unknown police officers from Area Command in Warri without an  offence.

 The  four  journalists:  Francis  Sadhere, Edeki Edafe, Christopher Odamah and Onyeka Meluwa  sent by the union to find out the cause of the arrest  were further arrested and detained   by the police.

It took efforts of the Union having spoken with Delta  State  Commissioner of Police   Mahammed  Inuwa to release the journalists at about 11:45 Pm.

 By  the time   members of the Union mobilised their members in a protest to area command Warri this morning, no police officer was seen  neither the identity of the officers who came for action  unknown at the time of filling in this report.