Police Arrest journalist In Abuja During Shiite Maulid Procession

A journalist, Nasir Hassan Yelwa, was arrested on Tuesday by police officers in Abuja while covering a religious procession held by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, and other Muslim worshippers marking the Maulid, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

The arrest happened in the Apo area of the capital around 2 p.m. Witnesses said Yelwa, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), had been invited to cover the peaceful event before policemen picked him up. He was later taken to the Abattoir facility, the former office of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The development adds to growing concerns over police actions against journalists in recent weeks. In Ekiti State, the Police Command summoned Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), to appear for questioning on September 15. The police accused him of conspiracy, defamation, cyberbullying, and blackmail.

FIJ said the invitation came shortly after one of its senior reporters, Sodeeq Atanda, regained freedom on Tuesday evening following an 11-hour detention. Atanda had earlier been summoned on September 1 to answer questions over alleged misrepresentation in the newsroom’s reports.

The police probe is linked to FIJ’s investigative series on Abayomi Fasina, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), who is currently on leave, a development described by insiders as a suspension. The reports accuse Fasina of sexual harassment against Folasade Adebayo, a serving director at the institution.

A letter signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Musa Hadi, and addressed to FIJ, stated that Soyombo’s name featured in the investigation and directed him to appear at the command headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.

The incidents have raised questions over press freedom and the safety of journalists reporting on sensitive issues in Nigeria.