Dayo Aiyetan, the publisher of the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and Nurudeen Akewushola, a reporter at the organisation, are still in custody more than six hours after they honoured invitations by the Nigeria Police Force and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
This was revealed by the ICIR through its official X handle earlier today. At about noon today, Akewushola, accompanied by a team of lawyers from the ICIR, appeared before the police cybercrime centre in response to an invitation issued to the organisation on May 20.
READ ALSO: Police Abduct EQToday Reporter Daniel Ojukwu ‘On IGP’s Orders’
Aiyetan also presented himself to the ICPC at the same time to help the agency’s investigation into corruption allegations against the police force.
According to the ICIR, the police, specifically the National Cybercrime Center, had written separately to the reporter and the managing director, inviting them over allegations of cyberstalking and defamation of character.
The ICIR, however, said it suspected that the invitations were connected to an investigative report titled “Two former IGPs, senior police officers accused of bribery in shady land sale of designated Police Barracks” and published by the organisation in February.
READ MORE: ICIR Next As Police Continue ‘Cyberstalking’ Onslaught Against Online Newspapers
EQToday learned that the ICIR has been unable to reach both Aiyetan and Akewusola since they left for the NPF and the ICPC offices at noon. EQToday also gathered that there might be indications that the police and the ICPC intend to detain both individuals beyond the end of today.
Recently, EQToday reported how the Nigeria Police Force has been using ‘cyberstalking’ as an excuse to crack down on online newspapers and journalists. On May 1, for instance, the NPF abducted Daniel Ojukwu, an EQToday journalist, on allegations of cybercrime and defamation.
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