ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Udo Jude Ilo. [Photo credit: YouTube]

Udo Jude Ilo. [Photo credit: YouTube]

Detained OSIWA Nigeria director released; speaks on encounter with SSS

bySamuel Ogundipe
April 6, 2018
2 min read
ADVERTISEMENT

Udo Jude Ilo, the Nigeria office director for the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) has been released by the State Security Service, hours after he responded to a summon by the secret police.

Mr. Ilo confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES around 11:45 a.m. Friday.

His visit to the Abuja Command of the SSS in Asokoro District was exclusively reported by PREMIUM TIMES when his colleagues and associates could not communicate with him for unknown reasons.

His driver told PREMIUM TIMES he drove Mr Ilo to the secret police, but could not tell why he was being kept inside without updates about his condition.

His colleagues also raised the alarm, with some OSIWA officials telling PREMIUM TIMES the encounter came amidst a series of disturbing messages the organisation has had with Nigeria’s security intelligence bodies recently. But they said they weren’t sure if Mr Ilo was at the SSS over the exchanges.

Mr Ilo said the SSS’ questions centered around his organisation’s activities in Nigeria.

“They asked to know our partners, how we’re getting funding and who we are funding,” he told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone shortly after his release.

“They also indicated interest in profiling us, knowing what we do, who our partners are and how our grantees are using the funds received from.

“They took my fingerprints and other details and told me our interaction was a friendly one.”

RelatedNews

Biden snubs Buhari in first calls to Africa

APC weighs in on Obaseki’s delay in appointing commissioners

Judge suspends Oyo-Ita’s N570 million fraud trial

Foreign Investor Network UK celebrates Okonjo-Iweala on resumption as WTO DG

It was not immediately clear why an intelligence organisation like the SSS would have to take an OSIWA official in for secret interrogation about the organisation’s activities and grantees which are readily available on its website.

OSIWA is an advocacy and grant-making organisation that pushes for open societies, accountability and inclusive democratic governance.

It has presence in 10 African countries and is part of the larger Open Society Foundations founded by business magnate, George Soros, which is working to “build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens.”

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

The organisation is doing extensive work in Nigeria to strengthen the capacity of the country’s civil society bodies to hold government, individuals and corporations accountable.

OSIWA has been widely praised for its achievements and transparency, all of which could be seen on its website.

Mr Ilo said the SSS operatives who interrogated him today told him the exercise was “a friendly” type that should not have attracted media attention.

The SSS could not be reached for comments as the agency has refused to name a spokesperson since President Muhammadu Buhari named Lawal Daura as its director-general in 2015.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (50)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

EFCC ‘recovers N130 million, prosecute nine in North-East’

Next Post

Ebuehi believes Super Eagles can get out of Group D

Samuel Ogundipe

Samuel Ogundipe

Samuel Ogundipe is a general assignment reporter at PREMIUM TIMES. At various times, he has covered the Presidency, National Assembly and Defence. Twitter: @SamuelOgundipe

More News

U.S. President Joe Biden and Nigeria's President Buhari

Biden snubs Buhari in first calls to Africa

March 3, 2021
Oil Barrels used to illustrate the story. [Photo credit: ThePointNG]

Oil prices rise as OPEC+ unlikely to raise output

March 3, 2021
Head of Service, Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita. ... Mass promotion for senior civil servants

Judge suspends Oyo-Ita’s N570 million fraud trial

March 3, 2021
gunmen

Gunmen kill one, abduct several travellers in Osun

March 3, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari

Ministry of Interior, INEC, others make presentations as Buhari presides over FEC

March 3, 2021
Nigeria Market street [PHOTO CREDIT: Financial Times]

Blockade: Meat scarcity, high food prices persist in Lagos, Ibadan, others

March 3, 2021
Next Post
Ebuehi believes Super Eagles can get out of Group D

Ebuehi believes Super Eagles can get out of Group D

Bride abducted in Katsina freed

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,627,656 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.