By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo Council, has called for an indepth probe into the arrest of newspaper vendors and distributors in Owerri by security operatives.
Some newspaper vendors and distributors were on Monday, May 10, 2021, arrested by the Inspector General of Police (IG) Intelligent Response Team (IRT) for allegedly selling newspapers that promote the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The NUJ Council said the arrested persons had been released through the efforts of the leaderships of the council, Newspaper Publishers Association of Nigeria (Imo chapter), the Commissioner for Information, Police and DSS.
The journalists, in a statement jointly signed by their state Chairman, Chris Akaronye and and Secretary, Juliet Dim, said the incident should be thoroughly investigated.
According to the Council, the arrests by the special police team were done without the knowledge of the Imo State Police Command and Directorate of State Services (DSS).
They described the “invasion and arbitrary arrests of innocent residents doing their legitimate businesses by security personnel without differing to the appropriate security agencies and state government” as embarrassing.
The Council decried that such actions could aggravate, rather than quell current tensions in the state occasioned by the series of attacks by bandits.
It, however, urged media workers and ancillary service providers in Imo to remain calm and continue with their lawful duties as it strives to ensure that such an “unacceptable and bizarre experience” does not recur in the state.
The group advised the security agencies to utilise extant laws of the nation, which it noted have sufficient provisions to take care of any infractions related to publications that are likely to breach the public peace and security, to address such issues in the future.
It stated: “Such perceived infractions should be properly handled by courts of competent jurisdiction and not resorting to a Gestapo style of invasion and arrest.”