This article shares the story of a Nigerian journalist, David Elombah, and his brother who were arrested on suspicion of writing an unflattering article criticizing the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris. The two were arrested by Nigerian Police in their home in Anambra on New Years Day, and then quickly moved to Abuja in the early hours of the morning. The article that caused these arrests, published in Opinion Nigeria, suggested that the Inspector-General had been involved in an “unending baggage of controversy.” Even though it came to light that David had not written the article, his brother Timothy remains in detention under an extension order given by the Magistrate Court in Abuja. There is evidence that the two brothers had been badly beaten by the police in transit from Anambra to Abuja.
The Nigerian military and police forces have a history of corruption and violence, as evidenced by their treatment of the Elombah brothers. This article demonstrates the problematic treatment of journalists in Nigeria, as well as the government’s crackdown on freedom of speech.
This article was written by Nigerian writer Nwachukwu Egbunike, who specializes in social media, youth political cooperation, politics, and identity. Egbunike included links to his primary source, Premium Times, the local newspaper in Abuja which originally reported on this story. Egbunike also cited several quotes, including one from the Inspector-General’s interview with the Daily Post: “whenever you commit an offence it is our duty to ensure that we respond.”
Nigerian police officers complete their training in 2015. Photo by AMISOM, released to public domain.