Rotimi Jolayemi, best known as Oba Akewi has called on Alhaji Lai Mohammed to release him, weeks after he was arrested for hate speech.

Oba Akewi produced and read a during a radio programme and Lai Mohammed think this is critical of him.

Though Oba Akewi willingly surrendered himself to the department of Intelligence Response Team on Wednesday, March 6th at Kwara State Command, Ilorin after three of his family members were arrested and detained for a week, there seems to be no sign if he will be released anytime soon.

The minister has said nothing about the issue and the detainee have not been charged to court – its two months already.

When contacted by SaharaReporters, Media aide to the minister, Mr Adeleye, said, “The Hon Minister of Information and Culture did not order the arrest of anyone. Kindly direct your inquiry to the appropriate authorities.”

While condemning the situation in a statement on Monday by its National President, Dr Osagie Obayuwana, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights said that the detention of Jolayemi was unlawful and detestable.

The statement partly reads, “The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights is alarmed at the continued detention of a journalist, Mr Rotimi Jolayemi, said to have been arrested at the instance of Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on account of a poem read over the radio considered critical of the minister.”

“It is worrisome that Alhaji Lai Mohammed will have a hand in the arrest of wife of the journalist, Mrs Dorcas Jolayemi, and two of his brothers, John Olalere Jolayemi and Joseph Toba Jolayemi, who were kept in detention for eight, nine and two days respectively while the journalist was being sought.”

“Furthermore, that even since Mr Jolayemi surrendered himself to the Police Headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara State, on May 6, 2020, he is still being held till date without being charged to court or granted bail.”

“The CDHR condemns in totality the violation of rights of Mr Jolayemi’s wife and brothers whose liberty were taken away from them for no other reason than being relations of Mr Jolayemi.”

“The continued detention of Mr Jolayemi by the police at the instance of Alhaji Lai Mohammed is tantamount to punishing a citizen for the expression of his opinion. This is not justifiable in our Nigeria of today.”

“We demand the immediate release of Mr Jolayemi, a public apology to him, his wife and brothers and payment of compensation to all four of them.”