The Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has strongly condemned what it described as the illegal detention of its Council Secretary, Comrade Bunmi Adigun, allegedly ordered by the Police Area Commander of Zone 2, Abeokuta, ACP Ogundele Olorunwa.

In a statement signed by the Council Chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, and made available to journalists in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the NUJ expressed outrage over what it termed a “brazen abuse of power and disregard for the rule of law” by the senior police officer.

According to the statement, Comrade Adigun was detained on Tuesday, while making efforts to restore order around the Union’s Secretariat, which had allegedly become a hub for night-time activities by individuals described as “ladies of the night.”

The NUJ said the Secretary had approached the police to assist in arresting one of the individuals allegedly causing a nuisance in the area and who had ran for cover at the Command, only to instead detained Adigun.

The detention, it was alleged, was after the Area Commander recognized Adigun from an earlier human rights report published by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) involving the officer.

“Instead of supporting our efforts to maintain law and order, the Area Commander chose to detain our Union Secretary for hours after checking his Facebook account and realizing he had once shared a CDHR story against him,” the statement read in part.

“He immediately ordered his detention, a clear case of abuse of power and an affront to press freedom.”

The Council described the action as “unacceptable, unbecoming of a senior police officer, and a worrying reflection of policing gone wrong,” adding that such conduct undermines the integrity of law enforcement in the state.

The NUJ further alleged that ACP Olorunwa has a pending case before the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, urging the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, to order an immediate investigation into the Area Commander’s actions and ensure justice is done.

“As a matter of urgency, we call on the Commissioner of Police to take swift disciplinary action against this errant officer and restore public confidence in the police,” Olanrewaju stated.

While commending other police officers of integrity within the command for their cooperation with journalists, the NUJ vowed to pursue the matter until justice is served, emphasizing that the Union “will not back down until the Area Commander is brought to justice.”

The Union also called on the Ogun State Government, civil society organizations, and the general public to stand in solidarity with journalists against any form of intimidation or harassment by security operatives.

“Any harassment or intimidation against media practitioners must come to an end,” the statement added. “We encourage all members of the public to lend their voices in this crucial matter.”