The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, has condemned the harassment and detention of two journalists by the Kano State Police Command.
The journalists, Buhari Rano, online editor with Kano Times and Isma’il Auwa, a freelance journalist, were allegedly detained by the police on the orders of the state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya.
Speaking with Melody Akinjiyan, the press freedom officer of the IPC, Rano confirmed that he was invited by the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) of the state police command, and was subsequently detained for three hours, while his phone was confiscated.
“I honoured their invitation yesterday and was detained for three hours and asked to come back tomorrow.
“This intimidation my colleague and I are going through is in connection to an opinion article published by Kano Times, which I did not author,” Rano noted.
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Executive Director of the IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade in a statement, said “this action is highly condemnable and the police, alongside the Kano State Government must uphold their responsibility to respect everyone’s right to freedom of expression.
“The police must desist from being used to constantly punish journalists who carry out their duties.
“The IPC is therefore calling on the Kano State Police Command through the commissioner of police to stop all forms of intimidation and harassment of Buhari Rano and Isma’il Auwa, and guarantee their safety.”
