Amnesty Demands Release Of Journalist Who Criticised Lai Mohammed

The Nigeria Police Force has been called on by Amnesty International to release the journalist, Rotimi Jolayemi who was arrested three weeks ago for allegedly criticising the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

The detained journalist who anchors a Yoruba radio programme, ‘Bi aye se ri’ on Osun State Broadcasting Service and Radio Kwara, was arrest by the police on May 5, 2020, for reciting a poem which was critical of the minister.

It was learnt that his wife, Dorcas and his two brothers spent more than a week in police custody when they could not produce him.

Further information revealed that they were released when the journalist had turned himself in.

Jolayemi, who is the Vice-Chairman, Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria, Osun State Chapter, was subsequently brought to Abuja where he has remained since May 7.

The Right group while speaking on the detention of the journalist in a post on Twitter noted that the arrest of the journalist and his wife was unlawful.

“Jolayemi, a journalist was unlawfully arrested on May 6, 2020, over a poem considered critical of the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed. His wife too was unlawfully detained for eight days in squalid condition. We are calling on authorities to immediately release him,” the tweet read in part.