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May 7, 2024
Ojukwu went missing on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. His mobile phones were turned off, leaving his whereabouts unknown to his colleagues, family, and friends.
The BudgIT Foundation’s 2023 GovSpend Media Fellowship fellows have expressed concern over the abduction of their colleague and journalist working with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daniel Ojukwu, by the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos.
Ojukwu is an investigative journalist and a member of the 2023 GovSpend Media Fellowship, an initiative of BudgIT dedicated to promoting accountability and transparency in government expenditures.
SaharaReporters had reported how Ojukwu was reportedly taken into custody by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun in Lagos and later moved to Abuja for alleged cybercrime.
Ojukwu went missing on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. His mobile phones were turned off, leaving his whereabouts unknown to his colleagues, family, and friends.
Reacting to Ojukwu’s abduction and detention by the police, GovSpend fellows who are from at least 11 media organisations across the country in a joint statement, expressed worry about the incident.
“We were shocked by Ojukwu's sudden disappearance on May 1, 2024, without any prior communication,” the statement said.
The journalists noted that apart from the fact that Ojukwu was rather abducted, not arrested by the police, he has continued to be unlawfully detained and denied access to legal representation and communication for several days.
The fellows who expressed great concern that Ojukwu’s abduction and detention were because of a story he published under the GovSpend fellowship, said, “Such actions are unacceptable and violate the fundamental human rights enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and several sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended).
“It is troubling that the authorities have disregarded the constitution they swore to uphold by subjecting Daniel to false imprisonment.
“These actions go against the purported image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, especially coming on the heels of World Press Freedom Day.
“Daniel Ojukwu's investigative work, along with that of other GovSpend fellows, has been instrumental in uncovering corruption across various levels of government, potentially saving the federal government a significant amount of public funds; thus, the efforts to promote accountability and transparency in government expenditures should be commended, not persecuted.
“Findings revealed that Daniel Ojukwu's abduction is connected to a recent investigative report conducted under BudgIT's GovSpend Media Fellowship.
“The report, part of a series produced by 12 other fellows, exposed discrepancies in government expenditure and violations of the Procurement Acts in executing federal government projects in Lagos and Ogun States.
“Specifically, Daniel explored the data provided by the Federal Government on the National Open Treasury Portal to expose violations of the laws by the office of Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs).”
The statement added, “It has also been reported that Muiz Banire, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), submitted the petition leading to the abduction of Daniel Ojukwu by the Nigerian Police Force.”
The journalists urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “intervene immediately and instruct the Inspector General of Police to release Daniel Ojukwu without delay”.
“Furthermore, we encourage the authorities to cease their unconstitutional actions and respect the rights of journalists and whistleblowers in Nigeria.
“We condemn this gross violation of human rights and all unjust actions targeted at journalists for their commitment to truth and transparency,” they added.