Men of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Warri Area Command in Warri, Delta State have arrested four journalists including three members of the Warri Correspondents Chapel of the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Though the reason for the arrest of the journalists was not disclosed as the chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Warri Correspondent Chapel, Comrade Vicky Okies has been denied access to his colleagues by the police authority.
The arrested journalists are Mr. Matthew Omonigho of the Daily Post Online, Mr Edeki Egafe of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Francis Sadhere of Business Day and Mr Christopher Odamah a freelance journalist.
According to Niger Delta Today, It was learnt that the police operatives had stormed the Press Centre of the Warri NUJ along Gbiaye Street in Warri at about 3:45pm to pick Omonigho for undisclosed reasons.
Following Omonigho’s arrest, the leadership of the NUJ in Warri immediately dispatched Edeki, Sadhere and Christopher to visit the Warri Area Command ascertain the offence for which Omonigho was arrested.
On getting there, the officers detained the three journalists who had visited the station to clarify issues relating to the arrest of the Daily Post’s reporter.
The mobile sets of the four journalists were alleged to have been confiscated by the operatives.
It was gathered that the detective were from the Force Headquarters and had declined to give reasons for the arrest of the four journalists.
The chairman of the Warri NUJ, Mr. Okies Vicky, was not allowed to see the four arrested journalists till 9pm when this report was being filed.
