News Publisher, Ayodele Samuel, Detained On Orders Of Taraba Governor, Remanded In Prison After Secret Trial

Date of Occurrence

December 13, 2022
State/Country

Taraba, Nigeria

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Description

On the 5th of December, the publisher and Managing Editor of Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper, Ayodele Samuel, was remanded in prison after a secret trial orchestrated by the Nigerian police on the orders of Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku.

SaharaReporters learnt on Monday that Ayodele, the Chief Executive Officer of Rock FM 92.3, Jalingo, and Publisher of Taraba Truths and Facts, was arraigned secretly by the police and remanded in prison afterward.

SaharaReporters had on Sunday reported that the police detained the publisher despite meeting the bail conditions given by the court.

Samuel had been remanded for six days despite meeting his bail conditions which were the provision of N10 million naira and two sureties who must be residents of Jalingo with landed properties worth N5 million naira each. Samuel has since met the bail conditions, but the police have refused to release him.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the police were acting on the orders of the state governor, Darius Ishaku.

“The publisher of Taraba Truth and Facts and CEO of Rock FM has been detained for six days despite a court order granting him bail. He has since met the bail conditions, but the police have refused to release him.

“The governor (Ishaku) is trying to suppress the freedom of the press in the state,” one source said.

Before his arrest and detention, Samuel raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life by agents of the state government.

Actions Taken

News Publisher Ayodele Samuel Regains Freedom After Spending Two weeks in Detention.

The publisher and Managing Editor of Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper, Ayodele Samuel, has been released.

SaharaReporters had reported how Ayodele was remanded in prison after a secret trial orchestrated by the Nigerian police on the orders of Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku.

Last Monday, it was learned that the Chief Executive Officer of Rock FM 92.3, Jalingo, and Publisher, Taraba Truths and Facts, was secretly arraigned by the police and remanded in prison afterward.

The police detained the publisher despite meeting the bail conditions given by the court.

He was remanded for many days despite meeting his bail conditions which were the provision of N10 million naira and two sureties who must be residents of Jalingo with landed properties worth N5 million naira each.

Lance Momodu, Ag. The editor of Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper confirmed Ayodele’s release in a statement on Tuesday.

According to him, the journalist is currently receiving medical care at a facility due to his deteriorated health condition and the trauma he has faced in the past few days.

The statement read, “We delight in announcing the release of Oloye Ayodele Samuel, publisher of Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper. Oloye Ayodele Samuel was released Monday evening following a judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State.

“Justice Usman Bala had earlier ruled that the journalist, also the CEO of Rock FM, should be released immediately under the same bail conditions granted by the magistrate court where the case had begun.

“Ayodele is currently receiving medical care at a facility due to his deteriorated health condition and the trauma he has faced in the past few days. Despite the unfortunate experience, the publisher remains resolute and courageous to keep on carrying out his duty objectively for the furtherance of the state and the nation.

“Ayodele Samuel, along with his family, staff, and management of Taraba Truth and Facts and Rock FM Jalingo, also use this medium to thank all those who sympathized, advocated, and contributed one way or the other to his release, all media organizations, senior journalists and right groups that spoke against his unlawful arrest. Thank you.”