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The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council, has faulted the arrest of radio presenter Chinonso Uba, popularly called Nonsokwa, by the Nigeria Police Force.
NUJ described the action of the command as a move to scuttle freedom of the press in the state.
In a statement 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.
In the release, the Union 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.
NUJ 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.
Meanwhile, in a release by the command which was made available to the NUJ, the police insisted 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 the light of the above, the Council urged 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 also 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.
It also pointed out that journalists in the state have been partnering 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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