Police Vs Premium Times: ‘I was accused of stealing secret documents’ — Samuel Ogundipe speaks on arrest

Samuel Ogundipe, the Premium Times journalist, has opened up on why he
was arrested by men of the Nigeria Police.

The reporter said he was accused of stealing secret documents.

Ibrahim Idris, Inspector-General of Police, reportedly ordered his
arrest over a story on Lawal Daura, sacked Director-General of the
Department of State Services (DSS).

The police had reportedly asked Ogundipe to disclose how he obtained
the letter IGP wrote to the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Daura
but the journalist declined in line with the ethics of the profession.

According to Premium Times, the journalist was secretly arraigned
before a magistrate court in Kubwa, Abuja, on Wednesday, without being
granted access to his lawyers.

He was reportedly charged with criminal trespass and theft of police document.

The newspaper said though Ogundipe's lawyer was allowed access to him
at the facility of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) in Abuja on
Wednesday morning, the lawyer was asked to leave only for him
(Ogundipe) to be later taken to court "without prior notice".

He was quoted as saying: "They brought me to a magistrate court in
Kubwa where they arraigned me. The magistrate said they should detain
me for five days.

"They accused me of criminal trespass. They said I stole secret
documents. The magistrate does not know the details, because they did
not include in the charge that I am a journalist. I was not allowed to
contact my lawyers.

"They also did not allow me to call anyone until the magistrate
ordered them to let me make one call. I am currently using the
registrar's phone to make this call and they are collecting it."