SaharaReporters had reported how Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director and Nurudeen Akewushola, a reporter were detained after honouring an invitation from the Police Cybercrime Centre and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Dayo Aiyetan, the executive director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and Nurudeen Akewushola, a reporter have been released by Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) after nine hours of questioning.
SaharaReporters had reported how Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director and Nurudeen Akewushola, a reporter were detained after honouring an invitation from the Police Cybercrime Centre and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
ICIR had made this known in a statement on Tuesday, noting that six hours had passed since the duo honoured the invitation and were yet to be released.
"It's 6 hours since our Executive Director, Dayo Aiyetan (@dayoaiyetan), and our reporter, Nurudeen Akewushola (@NurudeenAkewus1), honored the invitation of the Police Cybercrime Centre (@NPF_NCCC), and they have not been allowed to leave," ICIR had said.
It was learnt that the invitations might be connected to the report published by the medium which exposed the abuse of office by two former inspectors general of police (IGPs) and other senior officers in the Force.
Aiyetan was said to have been invited by the ICPC to provide information to help the agency’s investigation into the allegations of corruption in the police force.
According to an invitation letter from the cybercrime centre, it was connected to an investigation relating to “cyberstalking and defamation”.
The agency said it was investigating “a case that borders on an alleged violation of provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and it has become necessary to have recourse to your organisation”.
It is suspected that both invitations relate to an investigative report published by The ICIR titled, “Two former IGPs, senior Police officers accused of bribery in the shady land sale of designated Police Barracks.”
In its invitation, the police claimed it was probing a case of cyberstalking and defamation of character based on a petition received by the Office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigative Department, but provided no details.
However, after nine hours of questioning, the duo was released on bail and they left the cybercrime centre at 9:15pm on Tuesday.