The Editor of First News, Mr. Segun Olatunji, in a press conference organized by the International Press Institute (IPI), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at FCT Council of NUJ, Utako, Abuja, expressed his concern for his life after his release from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Thursday.

Narrating his ordeal, Mr. Olatunji said that he was arrested in his house in Lagos using his wife and 1yr old son as bait.
“On Friday March 18th , I was at my house in Lagos, watching “journalist hangout” with my 7-year-old son when suddenly, soldiers burst into the sitting room. I saw my wife and 1year old son amongst them, crying. I asked what happened and she said they arrested her from her shop and asked her to take them to where I was”, he said.

“I asked an officer that I identified as Colonel Lawal, if I could know why they were looking for me and he said no that they were from the military and they were there to arrest me. Immediately, he seized my phones as he had earlier seized my wife’s phones. I said okay that let me go in and dress up since I was only in my boxer shorts, some of them even followed me to my room as I took my shirt and trousers.”

Mr. Olatunji went further to say that on getting outside his house he saw many fully armed, ununiformed personnel and vehicles some of which he identified as army, air force and DIA. He said that he was handcuffed and taken to the air force base.
“They handcuffed me put me into the vehicle. At first I thought they were taking me to DMI in Apapa but then we made a detour to the air force base and straight to the office of the National Air Defense Corps (NADC) where we waited for about 3hrs. I didn’t know we were waiting for a military aircraft to come pick me. After a while when the aircraft came, someone came to me and asked me to hand over my glasses and then put a blindfold on me.”

The Editor of FirstNews with a shaky voice relayed how he was tortured and questioned. He said he was cuffed on both hands and legs and questioned for days in a cell.
“They moved me into the aircraft and we took off, when we landed they took all my clothes. I was left with my boxer shorts they also put leg cuffs on me in addition to the handcuffs and put me in a cell.
“At a point one of the officers came and tightened the cuffs on my right hand and leg , I was there groaning in pains, and it was that way for 3 days, when they released it all the right side of my body felt numb. As I’m talking to you I can still feel the numbness in my right hand and leg”, he added.

“On Monday, the cell I was in was changed to what they considered to be a better cell. Later they took me to see the doctor, took my blood samples and urine and asked questions about my health and later provided medications. That same Monday I was called for questioning. They were asking me about certain stories that FirstNews had carried. One of them told me that I was one of those abusing the Chief of Defense Intelligence, I said how? He said we did a story, I replied that it was a general story. They didn’t say much on that. He also asked me about a story we carried about the Chief of Staff to the President, I think that was the major thing. That’s why I told some people earlier that, those behind my arrest are people in the corridors of power who are not happy with what FirstNews is doing and they are bent on taking their own pound of flesh.” Mr. Segun also mentioned that he was accused of terrorism.

However after searching Mr. Olatunji’s phone, confirming his sources and making him write a statement, they eventually began talks about his release.
“On Tuesday, they asked me to write a statement, they had gone through my phone and checked my source then they left me in the cell till last night when they asked me to call someone in Abuja that can guarantee my release, so I called Mr. Yomi, a good friend and brother who brought me into journalism some 27 years ago when I joined ‘The Punch’. They called him and told him to go somewhere around ECOWAS secretariat. After lots of back and forth, they eventually took me somewhere under the bridge in Abuja here, where he was also asked to come to and he came. I was happy when he came. They asked him to sign some files, when he did they released me to him.”

At the end of the narration of his abduction, Mr. Segun expressed his fear over his life saying that he didn’t feel safe and he is being constantly watched.
He commented,“ I would like to say something. Given the series of events, I want to say that my life is not safe because they have everything about me, they know my house. I was even made to understand that they would have arrested me in my hometown on March 8th, I was there for an ICT program by Senator Olamilekun Adeola Yayi, my senator. One of them told me how they have been trailing me and watching me for about two or three weeks. They even lodged in a hotel close to my wife’s shop and it was from there they arrested her and my one year old son.”
When asked if there was anything spectacular he witnessed while in captivity, he vented that he was accused of terrorism and it shocked him greatly, saying that if they could come up with such a heinous crime from nowhere he is really afraid what else they can do.

He went further to extend his gratitude to all involved in his rescue and release. “I want to thank everybody once again I’m very grateful for being steadfast in asking for my release. God will bless you all thank you”, he said.

By Chinwendu Eugene.T.