Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday demanded that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) must immediately release Premium Times journalist Samuel Ogundipe.

Recall that reports this morning indicates that Ogundipe has been detained by the Police since Tuesday over his refusal to name the source of information in a published news report.

In a statement, AI spokesman Isa Sanusi said in a response to the detention, Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director Osai Ojigho said, “The Nigerian police must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Samuel Ogundipe, who has been in unlawful police detention since yesterday.

He said, “Reports that police detained Samuel Ogundipe with the intention of forcing him to reveal his sources are extremely disturbing and illustrate the level of harassment and intimidation that Nigerian journalists face.

He added that, “The duty of journalists is not to please the authorities – it is to share information in the interest of the public and forcing journalists to reveal their sources is illegal.”

“The directive for the arrest of Samuel Ogundipe reportedly came directly from the Inspector General of Police.

“The Nigerian police should focus their attention on maintaining law and order and allow journalists to perform their jobs free from fear of reprisals.

“The arrest of Samuel Ogundipe is part of a concerted crackdown on the Premium Times and its staff by Nigerian police.

“On Monday, police physically assaulted Editor in Chief Muskilu Mojeed and briefly detained reporter Azeezat Adedigba.

“We urge the Nigerian authorities to respect and ensure human rights and instruct their agencies to desist from harassing and intimidating Premium Times staff and other journalists and media organizations,” the statement said.