Kogi NUJ petitions CJ over journalist’s detention

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kogi State chapter, has petitioned the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Josiah Majebi, over the unlawful detention of the Publisher of Democracy Newsline, Olugbemi Femi, at the Kabba correctional facility in the state.

The Kogi State NUJ, through its counsel J. U. Usman in the petition, noted that the President of Upper Area Court Kabba, Edwin Tebu, “unlawfully” detained Femi over an alleged defamation of character.

The petition read in part, “Our client as a professional journalist has observed the ethics of journalism in the discharge of his duties and as such never had a brush with the law.

“On the 6th August, 2024, at about 1 pm a staff of Upper Area Court, Kabba came to his house in Kabba and informed him that the President of his court wants to see him urgently.

“Our client demanded to know why the said President of Upper Area Court, Kabba, Edwin Tebu wanted to see him but the said staff of the court feigned ignorance. Our client then followed the said staff to the court.

“As soon as our client got to the court, he was docked. Our client demanded to be served with a copy of the charge sheet or complaint for which he was brought to the court but the court shouted at him that he has no right to question the court’s authority.”

Usman added that even though a Direct Criminal Complaint was read over to the journalist alleging criminal defamation wherein he pleaded not guilty “he was remanded in the Kabba Correctional facility and our client was immediately taken to the said correctional around 2:30 pm.”

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