By Jeremy Fregene
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate sanction of the head of a police unit implicated in the controversial arrest and detention of Sodeeq Atanda, a senior reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), following widespread outrage over what rights groups have described as a gross abuse of police powers.
The IGP’s directive came amid public condemnation of the manner in which Atanda was arrested, including the reported detention of his wife and their nine-month-old baby, allegedly used as bait to lure the journalist into police custody.
The incident occurred on Monday in Ikorodu, Lagos, when operatives attached to the IGP Monitoring Unit allegedly detained Atanda’s wife, Adenike, and their infant child. According to FIJ, the officers compelled Adenike to place a call to her husband under the guise that their baby was ill and required urgent hospital attention.
Unsuspecting, Atanda reportedly rushed to meet his family, only to be handcuffed on arrival and taken away by the police to the Force Headquarters in Obalende, Lagos.
FIJ founder and editor-in-chief, Fisayo Soyombo, confirmed the arrest and eventual release of the journalist in a post on X, stating that Atanda’s ordeal was directly linked to an investigative report he had authored.
Atanda, his wife, and child were released shortly before midnight on Monday, but the episode triggered an avalanche of criticism from media organisations, civil society groups, and advocates of press freedom, who described the arrest as intimidation and a dangerous precedent.
Reacting to the uproar, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, took to X to defend the IGP, insisting that Kayode Egbetokun was not aware of the arrest until it was brought to his attention by the International Press Institute (IPI).
“I was with him last night when Mojeed Musikilu of the International Press Institute reached out to me about the arrest. I promptly informed the IGP, and he was miffed. You might choose to believe I am making this up, but it is the truth,” Hundeyin said.
According to him, the IGP immediately ordered action once he was briefed on the matter.
“He directed that the head of the unit be contacted to release the journalist immediately. I updated Mojeed accordingly,” Hundeyin added.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that Egbetokun was particularly angered by the timing and implications of the incident, especially as the Nigeria Police Force has publicly committed itself to protecting press freedom.
“The IGP was particularly angry that this came up at a time when the Police had pledged and are taking tangible steps to ensure press freedom. He equally ordered that the head of that unit be sanctioned for his conduct.
“IGP Egbetokun does not want and would not condone any setback to our support for press freedom,” Hundeyin said.
Meanwhile, FIJ maintained that Atanda’s arrest was directly connected to an investigative story exposing the activities of a little-known immigration consultancy firm.
According to FIJ, the report detailed how the firm’s chief executive officer, name withheld, allegedly refused to refund £15,000 collected in November 2023 from a United Kingdom-based Nigerian. The money was reportedly paid for two Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) intended for two family friends, which the firm failed to deliver.
FIJ said that rather than resolve the dispute or seek civil redress, the firm allegedly leveraged police influence to intimidate and silence the journalist who investigated and published the report.
The incident has reignited debate over the misuse of law enforcement agencies by private individuals and obscure firms to harass journalists, with media advocates warning that such practices pose a serious threat to investigative journalism and democratic accountability in Nigeria.