Ololade Adeyanju/
Popular broadcaster, Oriyomi Hamzat, has been released on bail by the police.
This was made known in a statement today by Head of Agidigbo FM, Ibadan, Adebayo Yousuph Grey.
Hamzat was arrested by officers from the Federal Intelligence Bureau of the police in Ibadan on Wednesday and taken to Abuja.
His arrest was reportedly connected to a petition submitted against him over his role in the quest for justice for Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, who died mysteriously at Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife, in November last year.
Police however claimed that he was arrested over a violation of the CyberCrime law.
The statement read: “It is with a heart filled with immense gratitude and huge relief that we confirm to the general public that Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat has finally regained his freedom after the arrest that spanned the entirety of yesterday.
“He was released on bail to his lawyers after due conversations with the authorities particularly with respect to the petition written against him by Rahman Adedoyin’s lawyers and the validity of his consequent arrest. As we have rightly stated yesterday, at no point was Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat found guilty of cyberbullying neither did he refuse at any point to not honor invitations from the Nigerian Police Force as wrongly alleged by the Force PRO. Why this false insinuation is being purveyed is completely beyond our grasp.
“Nonetheless, it is at this juncture; that we express our heartfelt appreciation to all Nigerians who stood by us
throughout yesterday’s trying moment, lent their voice to #FreeOriyomiHamzat. This might not have been possible; especially this soon, without your amplification of our concerns.
“We also say a huge thank you to the general public who joined in the peaceful protests that held in Ibadan yesterday, to Nigerians in Diaspora for their prompt reactions, the Nigerian Union of Journalists and to all of our colleagues from the media who considered Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat’s arrest as an injury to one that equates an injury to all. We also appreciate the efforts of the legal team led by Barrister Adekunle Ridwan.
“This wasn’t just an attempt to stem undue incarceration of a man calling for justice but also an exercise in protecting the sanctity of free speech.
“We’ll keep the general public abreast of further developments. Oriyomi Hamzat is a free man now. For that, once again we say, thank you!”
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