Armed policemen attached to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, on Sunday, assaulted and detained a reporter with The PUNCH, Solomon Odeniyi. Also arrested and detained was a reporter with Roots TV, Busayo Tosin. They were dispossessed of their mobile telephones and other belongings before they were detained at the River Park Police Station for four hours.

 

The policemen were led by one U.C. Ugochukwu, who ordered the detention of the journalists until all ongoing services at the Dunamis Church International were concluded.

 

Recounting his experience, Odeniyi said, “I went to Dunamis as a follow-up to what happened at the church last Sunday.

“Besides, some groups addressed a press conference and vowed to storm the church if the congregants arrested in the church were not released.

 

 

“There was heavy presence of security operatives comprising the DSS and police personnel at the church, which suggested something was about to happen.

 

“The protest was yet to start when suddenly I saw a patrol van of seven policemen surrounding us (I was with a reporter from Roots TV, Busayo Tosin). Ugochukwu and his men grabbed me by the belt and accused us of being among the protesters. I showed my ID card to him, which he forcefully took, damaging it in the process.

 

“Before I could say another word, I was slapped by one of them, while another pointed his gun at me. I asked what my offence was. I told them that my ID card was enough evidence that I was not part of the protesters. All that fell on deaf ears.

 

“We were immediately dispossessed of our phones, bundled into a waiting police patrol van and driven to the River Park Police Station.

 

“We pleaded with them to allow us communicate with our offices; the pleas were turned down. The sized items were: one power bank, three mobile phones, one camera, one tripod, and one identity card. We got to the station around 8am and were released following the intervention of the police high command at exactly 12.10pm.

 

“However, Ugochukwu ordered the police at the station not to release us until the church services in Dunamis ended.

 

 

“After releasing us, they took our addresses and phone numbers and warned us not to go back to the church. We were also warned against reporting that we were arrested and detained.”

 

A lawyer, Temitope Akinnifesi, condemned the ill-treatment of the journalists, describing the act as “unlawful, degrading, a repression of press freedom and a mockery of democracy.”

 

“Arrest and molestation of gentlemen of the press is a clear contravention of the provisions of Section 39(1) of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution as amended. This condemnable act is gross, inhumane and unbefitting of a democratic system of government,” he added.

 

Another lawyer, Victor Forghe, said, “The press is generally adjudged to be the fourth estate of the realm and every nation must guarantee the freedom of opinion and the press as it goes a long way in shaping the views of potential investors who are expected to invest in our fragile economy.”

 

Earlier, Tension enveloped the precincts of Dunamis International Gospel Centre headquarters in Abuja on Sunday following the decision of members of the Take-It-Back movement led by former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to stage a protest demanding the release of their comrades arrested by the Department of State Security during a ‘Buhari Must Go’ demonstration last week at the church.

 

The protesters had regrouped for confrontation with the church administration and insisted that the affairs of the nation were in a bad shape.

 

 

This was even as another group, Abuja Grassroots Project (AGP), stormed the church with #IStandwithBuhari shirts matched with face caps to counter the protest by Sowore’s men.

 

However, the Church requested the deployment of security operatives to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

 

We’ll occupy Dunamis church until #BuhariMustGo activists are released – Protesters

Meanwhile, Take-It-Back Movement has threatened to continue to picket Dunamis Churches in Abuja and Lagos until the detained ‘Buhari Must Go’ activists were also released.

A press release from the group which was signed by Mr Oni Ayoyinka reads: “On the 4th of July, 2021 Youths dressed in #BuhariMustGo shirts attended Dunamis Church in Abuja. They came out for the Altar call and were prayed for by Pastor Enenche. On their way out of the church, they were ambushed by Dunamis Church security who handed them over to the DSS after they were mercilessly tortured.

“A week later, these youths are still in illegal detention, tortured, denied access to lawyers, families and friends.

 

“Friends and families who have now gone to the church demanding the intervention of Pastor Enenche whose security handed the youth activists to the DSS were harassed and arrested. Journalists from thedailynewsngr.com and others who have also come to do their job were also molested and whisked away by security agents.

 

“The actions of the activists, including a visually impaired Samuel Gabriel at Dunamis last week Sunday is not against any law of the land. They have the right to wear what they like anywhere and they also have the right to operate their phones. We have demanded the Dunamis Church to secure their release and we have also sued both Dunamis Church and the DSS.

 

 

“The reaction of Dunamis church to the protest by family and friends of the arrested youths have yet again that the church is in direct connivance with the regime in the detention of the activists.

 

“It is to this end that we state categorically that we’d be occupying the Dunamis Church if the activists are not released and allowed to return to their families. And with this, we want to state categorically that mobilizations have now begun to picket the Dunamis Church.

 

“Wearing ‘Buhari Must Go’ to church isn’t an offence known to law.”