Four journalists in Warri, Delta State, who were on Tuesday detained at the Police Area Command office in Warri have been released.
The journalists, 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, were released few minutes before midnight on Tuesday.
RealTime24 investigation revealed that the four journalists were taken into custody by the police in an alleged attempt to track and arrest one of their colleagues, Clestus Opukeme.
It was gathered that Omonigho of the Daily Post Online, was first picked up by Police detectives suspected to be from Abuja at the Press Centre of the Warri Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) before noon on Tuesday.
To worsen the situation, a delegation sent by the Chapel to the Police Command comprising of Mr Edeki Egafe of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Francis Sadhere of Business Day and Mr Christopher Odamah, a freelance journalist, to effect the release of Omonigho were detained.
Following interventions by the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa and the Chairman, Delta State Council of NUJ, Comrade Michael Ikeagwu, the four journalists were released.
Chairman of the Warri Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Okies Vicky, confirmed the release of the four journalists after the detective obtained statement from them.
Omonigho told RealTime24 that, when he was arrested the police detectives accused him of having a link with Clestus Opukeme, urging him to assist them to track and arrest his colleague.
He decried the horrifying manner he was hoarded into the police van and lamented whether it was a crime to relate with his professional colleague.