The publisher of Elombah.com and United Kingdom based lawyer, Mr. Daniel Elombah has been arrested by officers attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, of the Nigerian police on “Orders from above”.
This is coming despite assurances from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration that it has no intention of intimidating or arm twisting online journalists and bloggers.
Mr. Elombah, who is also the General Secretary of the Online Publishers Association, OPAN, was arrested alongside his brothers from their family house in Edoji-Uruagu Nnewi, Anambra State in the wee hours of New Year Day.
The officers who stormed the compound in a commando-styled operation refused to give reasons why the journalist was being arrested as his wife, two kids and aged mother watched in horror. They just said they were acting based on “orders from above” as they shackled him and others in cuffs before taking them away in one of the vans they came in.
Reports indicate that Mr. Elombah’s arrest may have emanated from the Inspector General of Police as his personal effects, laptops and mobile phones including those belonging to his family members were all confiscated by the rampaging SARS officers who were allegedly seen jumping into Mr. Elombah’s compound through the fenced walls.
Mr. Elombah and his group have been moved away from SARS office at Nnewi as they are presumably being taken to SARS headquarters at Awkuzu, Anambra state at the time of filing this report.
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