Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Ibesikpo/Asutan Police Division in Akwa Ibom State, early Friday, arrested and detained the state correspondent of Punch Newspapers, Mr. Etim Ekpimah.
Ekpimah, who was arrested for taking snapshots of an accident, also had some of the information he gathered deleted by the policemen.
The PUNCH reporter was arrested when he was speaking with the son of the accident victim on how his father’s tricycle rammed into a stationary sachet water truck that led to the man’s death.
A policeman, who was on mufti, gave the order that the journalist be arrested and his telephone seized for trying to gather information on the accident.
All entreaties for the police to let the journalist go or speak with the Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, fell on deaf ears as they arrested and detained him behind the counter, before taking him to one of their offices, where he was ordered to write a statement.
One of the policemen, who threatened the correspondent, seized his cell phone where he recorded interaction with the victim’s son, scrutinised and deleted the interview he had with the lad.
The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Murtala Mani, who said he regretted the harassment, said he had been trying to reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area, but his telephone line was not going through.
He said, “I am very sorry about that. I will surely get to the boy who did that to you.”
Ekpimah, who was arrested for taking snapshots of an accident, also had some of the information he gathered deleted by the policemen.
The PUNCH reporter was arrested when he was speaking with the son of the accident victim on how his father’s tricycle rammed into a stationary sachet water truck that led to the man’s death.
A policeman, who was on mufti, gave the order that the journalist be arrested and his telephone seized for trying to gather information on the accident.
All entreaties for the police to let the journalist go or speak with the Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, fell on deaf ears as they arrested and detained him behind the counter, before taking him to one of their offices, where he was ordered to write a statement.
One of the policemen, who threatened the correspondent, seized his cell phone where he recorded interaction with the victim’s son, scrutinised and deleted the interview he had with the lad.
The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Murtala Mani, who said he regretted the harassment, said he had been trying to reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area, but his telephone line was not going through.
He said, “I am very sorry about that. I will surely get to the boy who did that to you.”
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