The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council, has condemned the arrest of radio presenter Chinonso Uba, popularly called Nonsokwa, by the Nigeria Police Force, describing the action of the command as a move to scuttle freedom of the press in the state.
In a statement respectively signed by the State Chairman of the Union, Precious Nwadike, and its Secretary, Ori Martins, they condemned the manner in which the radio presenter was arrested and charged the police to take the matter to court.
The Union, in its press statement, informed that Uba was discovered missing by his family and friends, who raised the alarm over his sudden disappearance days before the command came up with a release confirming his arrest.
The council leadership in the state maintained that the delay on the part of the police in owning up to the arrest and the manner of the arrest, which it described as a Gestapo-style arrest, created the speculation that he was abducted.
“According to a release by the command and made available to the NUJ, the police insist that Nonsokwa’s arrest was in response to a petition signed by a faceless group it simply identified as ‘Concerned Citizens,’ accusing Nonsokwa of cyber stalking, character defamation, spreading misinformation, and inflammatory statements related to the burning of the National Open University (NOUN) Study Centre in Nsu, Ehime Mbano LGA, on September 30, 2024, inciting civil unrest,” the release stated.
In light of the development, the council stated that it is urging the police to toe the path of honor, integrity, and professionalism by either charging Nonsokwa to court immediately or releasing him on bail without further delay.
The union argued that since the command has clarified that the presenter was not abducted, as widely reported, the best thing to do is to allow the law to take its proper position on the matter.
“By the stipulations of the law, Nonsokwa is not supposed to be detained beyond 48 hours before being charged to court, and it is on this premise that we urge the Imo Police Command to be more professional in the handling of the Nonsokwa affair and avoid anything that may portray the police as seeking to repress divergent opinions from the civil populace,” the council maintained.
The council pointed out that journalists in the state have been partnering with the police in the pursuit of ensuring the safety of citizens and urged the command to maintain the relationship by avoiding actions that will portray the force as an enemy of press freedom.
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