The International Press Center, (IPC) has demanded the immediate release of the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, Mr Agba Jalingo after he was whisked by policemen.
IPC also denounced the growing crackdown on freedom of expression following the continuing molestation of journalists and the media by security agencies.
In a press release by The Association of Cross River Online Journalists – ACROJ dated August 22, 2019 Mr. Agba Jalingo, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of CrossRiverWatch was criminally whisked from Lagos to Calabar over recent invitation extended to him by the police command in the state over a publication about the Cross River State Microfinance bank, a matter which both parties agreed to meet on Monday August 26, 2019.
READ: CBN cautions Nigerians against fake messages offering loans
IPC Director, Lanre Arogundade in a statement condemned the arrest; noting that detaining a reporter for doing their job of informing the public is an abuse of power and human rights violation.
He also condemned the fact that Mr Jalingo has been held for more than forty –eight hours without been charged to court
IPC therefore calls for his immediate release while in the alternative he should be charged to court to enable him defend the allegations against him.
