Police Arrest, Whisk Journalist To Abuja Over Facebook Post On Dana Air

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, January 07, (THEWILL) – The Deputy Editor of a local publication in Akwa Ibom state – Ibom Nation Newspaper, Mr. Jerry Edoho was on Friday reportedly arrested and forcibly taken to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, by some plain-clothes policemen over a post on his Facebook page.

Upon seeing a photograph of a purported crash involving a Dana flight heading to Lagos from Abuja in which he was tagged, the young journalist sought clarification from his Facebook friends to confirm the authenticity of the rumour.

Saturday Punch reports that he had written, “Rumor via social media (Facebook) has it that Dana Air enroute Abj-Lag with 153 passengers crashed killing all on board. Please could someone help verify the authenticity of this shocking report? Below is (the) pix from the scene as uploaded on my

wall.”
Dana Air allegedly wrote a petition to the police authorities in Abuja after the said photograph started trending among a section of Facebook users; sequel to which Edoho was arrested in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, and taken to Abuja on a Dana flight billed to leave by 4 pm.

Confirming the development to the newspaper shortly before leaving Uyo for Lagos, human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said he saw three plain-clothes security officers whisking Edoho away while still at the Ibom International Airport, Uyo.

Effiong said, “Jerry Edoho sighted me at the Ibom International Airport, Uyo, and alerted me that he was being taken forcibly to Abuja by a team of plain-clothes security men over a publication on Facebook.

“He told me that he was tagged in a post about the recent rumoured crash of a Dana plane, which was false. That, upon being tagged, he made a post like several other Nigerians asking whether the crash report was true.

“The security men were to convey him to Abuja via a Dana flight that was scheduled to depart by 4 pm.

“The security men confronted me for speaking with him 'without their permission.' I retorted that Mr. Edoho is a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that his right to freedom of expression cannot be taken away.

“This resulted in an altercation between me and the security men whose identity I cannot immediately ascertain. I understand that his arrest followed a petition by Dana Air to the Nigeria Police Force.

“I am using this platform to urge both the police and the management of Dana Air to respect the fundamental rights of Mr. Edoho.

“He should be released on bail pending the conclusion of investigation into whatever allegations that have been made against him. This is a democracy, not a dictatorship,” the rights activist added.