Festus Ogun, the lawyer for blogger Olamilekan Hammed, who was purportedly arrested for a report on Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, asserted on Tuesday that the blogger’s arrest was linked to the governor.
According to reports, Ahmed was arrested by the Department of State Services for allegedly posting a narrative on Abiodun’s supposed criminal records in the United States.
The governor, who is seeking re-election under the ruling All Progressives Congress, refuted the allegations, claiming that they were insufficient grounds for his disqualification.
The lawyer stated his client was being imprisoned in violation of the law and demanded that the Ogun State Commissioner of Police free Ahmed immediately.
Ogun said, “we can authoritatively confirm that Prince Olamilekan Hammed (Labash), the courageous blogger arrested for exposing the dirty criminal records of Governor Abiodun in the US has been transferred to the Ogun State Police Command by the State Security Service.
“I met with him in high spirit yesterday and he further confirmed that the sole reason for his arrest was about the reports he made in respect of the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. He was forced to delete the publication and five days after his irrational arrest, he is still being kept in grave contravention of the law.
“Sections 34, 35, and 39 of the 1999 Constitution are clear that journalism is not a crime that could warrant an arrest and that the continuous detention of Hammed beyond 24 hours is a naked violation of his sacred fundamental rights.
“Dapo Abiodun, who instigated the malicious arrest, is solely responsible for the detention, brutal torture, and intimidation of Mr. Hammed. Deploying the instruments of the state to oppress a citizen-journalist merely doing his job is fascism taken too far. He should approach a civil court if he feels defamed.
“We call on the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State and the SSS to immediately release Mr. Hammed or charge him to court, should they have any case against him. We equally call on all activists, civil society organisations, the press, and all patriots to join us in our struggle for the freedom of blogger Labash.”
