Police Arraign 10 Journalists for Seditious Publication

Ololade Adeyanju
Police have arrested 10 journalists, including the publisher of The Biafra Times, Peter Eke, over alleged seditious publications.
Arrested with him are nine other staff of the newspapers, identified as, Jamiu Eke, Azeez Ayoola, Akeem Adebakin, Bisi Akeem, Adewumi Temitope, Sakiru Folorunsho, Rafiu Qudus, Kunle Olusola, and Ayodeji Odunyingbo.
The 10 suspects were arranged before a Lagos Chief Magistrates’ court, in Ikeja, on Monday, over alleged “inciting news publication in an unlicensed newspaper”.
They all pleaded not guilty to the seven-count charge preferred against them by the Criminal investigation Department (SCID) of the Lagos State Police Command.
After their plea, their lawyer, Lucy Baadoo, moved an application for their release on bail on liberal terms.
The bail application was, however, refused by Chief Magistrate Aje Afunwa, who, instead, ordered the accelerated hearing of the case.
She, consequently, adjourned the case to February 10, 17 and 24 for commencement of trial.
In the charge, the prosecutor, CSP Effiong Asuquo, OC Legal of SCID, alleged that the accused persons projected obscene article in an unlicensed publication known as “The Biafra Times” on January 29, 2017.
They were alleged to have reproduced statements, rumors and reports calculated at inciting secession in a section of the Nigerian Federation and also putting the Federal government in fear.
The publication is said to contain pictorial displays of persons living and dead in a manner likely to provoke or bring into disaffection some sections of the Nigerian Federation.
The accused were also alleged to have conducted themselves in a manner likely to constitute a breach of peace, by inducing fear in the public and preventing them from going about their lawful business
The offences are said to have contravened the provisions of Section 58, 59 and 403 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, Cap C17 Laws of the Federation, 2015.