The Nigerian police in Lagos, South-west Nigeria, have detained a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Emmanuel Uti.
The journalist was detained on Tuesday after honouring a police invitation over a story he authored last November.
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The publisher of the online platform, Fisayo Soyombo, disclosed the development via his verified X handle on Tuesday.
Mr Soyombo said that the reporter was held at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) annexe, Alagbon area in Lagos State.
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“His only ‘crime’ is filing a story about an educational consulting firm in Ikeja that collected N4m to secure admission into a Canadian institution for a client without delivering,” Mr Soyombo wrote.
According to the report published last November, Beverly Basil, an ex-employee of an educational consulting firm in Ikeja, received N4 million from a Lagos resident to help her to secure an admission into Canadian Institute of Management and Technology (CIMT), Canada. The report said Mr Basil failed to deliver on the deal or return the money.
PREMIUM TIMES obtained a copy of a police letter of invitation informing the management of the FIJ of a case under investigation against Mr Uti.
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The letter dated 16 December 2024 stated that the journalist was under investigation for a case of criminal conspiracy and cyberbullying “in which the need to obtain certain clarification from you has become imperative.”
The police informed Mr Uti to report at its Alagbon office, where he should meet an officer, Magaji Ibrahim.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Nigerian Army releases journalist Fisayo Soyombo
Mr Uti honoured the invitation on Tuesday. As of the time of filing this story late Tuesday, the journalist, yet to be released, had spent six hours in police custody.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, did not return our reporter’s calls or reply to a text message seeking his comments.
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