BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
The federal capital territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to release Tony Ezimakor, Abuja bureau chief of the Daily Independent Newspapers.
Ezimakor was invited to the DSS headquarters in Abuja three days ago but the agency refused to release him.
His lawyers and family members were not allowed to see him.
Rising from its congress on Saturday, the FCT chapter asked the secret police to either charge Ezimakor to court or release him unconditionally.
In a statement, Paul Ella Abechi and Rafat Salami, its chairman and secretary, said the continued detention of the Ezimakor “violated the journalist’s fundamental human rights and constitutional provisions affirming same”.
The union described the incident as an attempt to stifle freedom of expression and urged the government to refrain from “such undemocratic activities.”
“The detention of Tony Ezimakor by the DSS since February 28 is unconstitutional and unjustifiable. The DSS should release him forthwith or charge him to court if it has any case against him,” the statement read.
“As activities gain momentum towards the 2019 general elections, the NUJ is alarmed by the body language, utterances and actions of DSS and other security agencies all aimed at obstructing section 22 of the 1999 constitution and infringing upon the fundamental human rights of journalists in the country.
“The DSS and other agencies of the federal government should desist forthwith from further harassment and intimidation of journalists in the course of the constitutional assignments.”
The union urged the DSS to apply due process in its actions by concluding investigations before making arrests.
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