Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was detained for 10 days following his exposé on corruption.
Upon his release last Friday, Ojukwu disclosed that while he was not physically tortured, he experienced “mental torture” during his detention.
He also revealed that he was held in confinement with confessed criminals by the Nigerian police.
“I was tortured mentally. I was detached from my normal life. I was not allowed to make a phone call; I was not allowed to reach anybody,” FIJ quoted Mr Ojukwu as saying.
He described how his clandestine arrest caused distress for his family and employer, particularly worrying them with the uncertainty of his whereabouts during the initial days of his detention.
“Family members, friends, and colleagues at work had no idea where I was. So, it wasn’t just me I needed to worry about; I also needed to worry about the people who were going through a whole lot of emotional stress because they did not know my whereabouts.
“Nobody knew where I was. So, it wasn’t just about me. I was there in captivity, but a lot of people were going through so much emotional stress.
“They did not know where I was if I was kidnapped, if I was probably a victim of an ambush, one chance and all that,” Mr Ojukwu said.
Narrating his ordeal in detention, Mr Ojukwu said, “I was locked up with confessed murderers, people who confessed to the crime of murder.”
He further expressed that his arrest and detention had opened his eyes to the extent of injustice and inhumane treatment suffered by suspects—individuals perceived to have committed a crime but have not faced trial or been convicted.
The Peoples Gazette attempted to reach Muyiwa Adejobi for comments regarding Mr. Ojukwu’s claim of being detained with criminals. However, the police spokesperson did not respond to calls and messages.
Earlier, Mr. Adejobi defended the police’s actions, asserting that there was nothing improper about arresting and detaining Mr. Ojukwu for 10 days.
Mr. Ojukwu was secretly arrested and held in police custody on May 1st.
