1715346125 Daniel Ojukwu

BREAKING: Police free journalist Daniel Ojukwu after nine days in custody

Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been set free from police custody.

Police had detained Ojukwu since May 1 after he was โ€œabductedโ€ by officers in Lagos.

DAILY POST learnt Ojukwuโ€™s family and FIJ management were unaware of his whereabouts until 48 hours after he was declared missing.

He was later relocated to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police.

They later moved him to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).

The police had given FIJโ€™s lawyers and negotiators stringent bail conditions.

However, police started to soft-pedal after civil society organisations marched to the Force Headquarters on Thursday to press for his release, resulting in his eventual release on Friday.

Abimbola Ojenike, FIJโ€™s lawyer was quoted as saying that โ€œDaniel Ojukwuโ€™s case is one of the most egregious cases of human rights violation and misuse of the powers of the Police against journalistsโ€.