Police invite Premium Times journalist over yet-to-be-published story
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The police have summoned a reporter with PREMIUM TIMES, Emmanuel Agbo, over a yet-to-be-published report that he’s engaged on.
Agbo acquired an invite letter dated May 31, 2024 from the workplace of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Intelligence Response Team, Abuja by way of WhatsApp on Monday, based on the platform in a report on Tuesday.
The police have been reported to have despatched the letter after the journalist requested a proper invitation as a substitute of their preliminary invitation by way of a cellphone name.
The journalist was stated to have been initially contacted over the phone on May 30 by a person who recognized himself as a police officer named Ezemba Ezekiel.
The man reportedly requested that the journalist come over to the workplace of the police’s Intelligence Response Team in Guzape, Abuja.
“I am Ezemba Ezekiel from the Intelligence Response Team. I am calling you on behalf of Homadils. You are expected to come over to our office at Abattoir in Guzape to clarify a petition,” he stated by way of cellphone name.
The agency, Homadils Realty Limited, talked about by the police officer within the cellphone dialog, is claimed to be a land developer and main occasion to a land dispute which Agbo’s deliberate story is specializing in.
According to the platform, the police invitation got here after Agbo reached out to the Chief Executive Officer of Homadils, Bilkisu Aliu, over the cellphone over allegations levelled in opposition to her by a household laying declare to the land in dispute.
Following the cellphone name with the policeman on Monday, Agbo requested a proper invitation by writing to him via PREMIUM TIMES.
An invitation letter dated May 31 was despatched to the journalist by way of WhatsApp on Monday with Agbo’s identify in a petition with out giving any particulars.
It additional requested the journalist to seem on Wednesday, June 5, at 2 pm on the IRT Complex, Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja.
In its response, PREMIUM TIMES assured the police of supporting their investigation and requesting particulars of the petition they acquired from Homaldis.
The Managing Editor of PREMIUM TIMES, Idris Akinbajo, within the letter delivered to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, on Monday stated though the letter was dated May 31, it acquired the invitation on June 3.
“We have received a letter from you to our reporter, Agbo Emmanuel, in which you invited him to appear before you on 05/06/2024 at your office at ‘IRT Complex, Old Abbatoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja’. We received the letter today, 03-06-2024, although it is dated 31-05-2024,” Akinbajo wrote within the letter delivered to the workplace of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, IRT, on Monday.
“We, Premium Times, are a web based newspaper devoted to utilizing investigative journalism to carry energy accountable and deepen democracy as enshrined in Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“We are thus at all times prepared to help regulation enforcement companies in the middle of their skilled duties. However, in your letter to Mr Emmanuel Agbo, you solely acknowledged that your ‘office is in receipt of petition…’ however didn’t present any particulars of the petition.
“We ask that you provide more details of the petition to enable our reporter, Mr Agbo, to make adequate preparations and bring along relevant materials when he appears in your office. We trust that you will treat this promptly so we and Mr Emmanuel Agbo can prepare adequately and assist you in the course of your work. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or clarifications,” Akinbajo acknowledged.
The platform famous that the police invitation was attributable to a dispute involving Homadils Realty Limited and a household over a chunk of land in Guzape, a selection space of Abuja.
It added that the dispute has thrown up allegations of doc falsifications which, it learnt, are being investigated by the Federal Capital Development Authority.
In latest occasions, there was a surge within the instances of police focusing on journalists for doing their reliable work in Nigeria.
In March, some gunmen hooked up to the Defence Intelligence Agency kidnapped the then editor of FirstNews newspaper, Segun Olatunji, from his house within the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba space of Lagos State.
Olatunji’s abduction was linked to a narrative printed by FirstNews titled, “Revealed: “Defence Chief running office like family business – Public Interest Lawyers”, printed by many different on-line platforms.
equally, in May, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu, was kidnapped by males of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police.
Ojukwu regained his freedom after days 10 days in police custody following protests by some Civil Society Organisations in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
