In response to the recent press release by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, signed by SP Eyitayo Johnson regarding the arrest and arraignment of four journalists for alleged cyberstalking and attempted extortion of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) has said that it is constrained to set the record straight on several key points.
In a statement jointly signed by the President and the Vice President Administration and Strategic Communications, Malam Abdulrahman Aliagan and Oyewale Oyelola respectively, on Thursday, and made available to Journalists in Abuja, the Guild noted that without joining issues with the parties involved, the Police overstepped its boundaries under the law by issuing a statement that clearly pronounced the defendants guilty as charged.
The statement read in parts: “NGIJ view with dismay the desperate media war the PSFU seems to be waging against four journalists arrested by the unit at on the orders of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank).
“The Guild is shocked at the tone of the press release signed by SP Eyitayo Johnson and made available to the media on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, when the Journalists have been arraigned in court and remanded at Ikoyi Prison until 4th of October, 2024.
“The tone of the press release is not only assertive and judgmental but smacks of a desperate attempt of giving a dog a bad name to hang it.
“Again, it seems PSFU wants to be a judge in its own case when they affirmed in the said press release that “having established contact with a staff member of the PR department of the bank, and despite being informed that the story in false; (sic) resorted to economic blackmail by demanding for financial compensation before the false publication could be pulled down.”
“One would think that a reputable unit like the PSFU would be professional enough to allow the Court determined this case based on its merits (if any). This is because to the best of our knowledge, whether or not the arrested journalists demanded for financial compensation before pulling down the stories is a matter to be determined by the court.
“In setting the record straight: First and foremost, it is crucial to highlight that the four journalists in question were arraigned in court on Friday, 30th of September, 2024, before Hon. Justice Ayokunle Faji and are scheduled for trial from the 4th of October, 2024. This demonstrates that due legal process is already ongoing and the matter is being handled in a transparent and accountable manner by a court of law. Therefore, for PSFU to start issuing a press release and sending pictures of the Journalists to the media on the 2nd of October, even when their arraignment was widely reported by major newspapers on the 30th and 31st of October, has left a big question mark as to what the special interests of the Police in the matter is.
“Furthermore, it has come to light that the House of Representatives has received a petition regarding the subject matter in the case, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen granting approval for a thorough probe of the allegations against the GTBank. This indicates that the issue has broader implications and is being taken seriously at a higher legislative level.
“GTBANK itself had before an investigative panel at the National Assembly in September confirmed that the bank did not remit (Value Added Tax (VAT) to the Federal Government for an extended period of 8 years. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Nigeria’s House of Representatives then ordered the GTBank to calculate the VAT owed on commissions earned through the Remita platform between 2015 and 2022 to the Federal Government.
“This fraudulent act was part of the content of the original report by the defendants, leading to their arrests. This revelation, without prejudice to the ongoing case in court, underscores the need for thorough investigation and scrutiny of the bank’s practices, lending credibility to the four accused journalists’ publications.
“Additionally, concerns have been raised about the fundamental human rights of the journalists as they were kept in custody by the Police for up to a week before they were charged to court. Moreso, the nature of the arrest of the Journalists in question in a ‘Gestapo-style’ without their arrests duly registered their with the local authorities in Ilorin and Abeokuta, remains a big question on the professionalism of the PSFU Police. This also raises questions about the fairness and legality of their detention and the nature of the arrest, especially considering the sensitive nature of press freedom globally.
“It is evident that the Police’s actions in this case may indicate an attempt to suppress freedom of the press and stifle truthful reportage, particularly when considering the influence of powerful individuals and entity involved, like the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr Segun Agbaje.
“Without any doubt, the role of the police should be to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of individuals, including journalists, without bias but in this case, adhering to these noble duties are doubtful.
“We therefore strongly condemn position taken by the Police in the allegations made against our four colleagues, in which they have taken a NOT GUILTY plea before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.
“It’s disturbing to see the police seemingly working to justify their actions, rather than upholding the principles of democracy and protecting the rights of journalists to report the truth by the obvious show of bias by the PSFU.
“The allegations appear to be a blatant attempt to continue to harass, intimidate, and silence our colleagues and stifle press freedom in efforts to protect the rich and the influential in the society.
“The NGIJ therefore stand in solidarity with rule of law and our colleagues as well as demands that their rights be respected, as we will continue to report the truth, without fear or favour, and hold those in power accountable for their actions in public interest.
“We therefore call on Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, the Chairman Police Service Commission, PSC, democratic institutions, the National Assembly, human rights organizations, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the international community to condemn the position of the PSFU as the prosecutor and the judge in the matter before the court”, the statement concluded.