Police receives bribe to release Journalist in Ojokoro.

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[20:47, 1/21/2017]: Please comrades, I need your advise on this. One of my reporters was sent on an assignment to do market survey on a story about food prices. She went to Ijaye market and interviewed a trader. Without permission, she took photographs of the items on display and the trader flared up. He called the police and my reporter was arrested. When she called me, I asked to speak with the IPO. The police insisted that someone had to come to identify her. I promised to call on the station tomorrow since am out of town but they threatened to detain her. Eventually her father went and as suspected, the police wanted money. They collected money to release a journalist even after all the editors in Tell magazine identified her. Pls I need reactions to this. The station is in Ojokoro.


[21:10, 1/21/2017] : On what legal basis was your reporter arrested? If it is on the basis of Section 37- Right to Privacy - of the 1999 Constitution, I find her arrest ridiculous- that is if the photographs don't specifically reflect the image of the trader to ground her claim of invasion of her right to privacy. There's no basis in law, IMHO, for the police action. The trader could argue that she owns the goods, but she has no intellectual property rights to the goods for her to insist on permission before photographs could be taken. That the market is a public place makes her insistence on permission (and police action) silly.



[21:24, 1/21/2017] : While the initial story is on market survey, the new development gives you the opportunity to expose that other rotten underbelly of the police- a publishable story itself. Stella, quite an age really! Nice to hear from you

[21:27, 1/21/2017] : I concur. But the argument the police might be putting forth is their usual "conduct likely to cause breach of the peace". Another very probable excuse for her arrest is that she is reasonable suspected to be an informant for a terrorist or kidnap syndicate. This might be d reason for demanding her identification. That notwithstanding, her identity as a journalist should end all such speculations.

All d same, Their error of law can be forgiven but the demand for and receipt of bribe as a prerequisite for bail should be addressed.


[21:30, 1/21/2017] : Is anyone close to the Ojokoro DPO? His attention should be brought to the case. Thanks