DSS reportedly arrests journalist for ‘criticizing Buhari, Tinubu, EFCC’

The Department of State Service (DSS) has reportedly arrested a journalist, Ayoola Babalola, for allegedly publishing articles criticising President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Babalola’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Effiong, who is also a rights activist, said his client was arrested on Thursday and arraigned at a Magistrate Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the following day.

According to him, the journalist has been remanded at the Ibara Maximum Prison, Abeokuta, on the court’s order.

The lawyer said: “Late on Friday, 24th January, 2020, I was alerted that my client Mr. Ayoola Babalola, a courageous student activist and young journalist, was arrested and charged to court for allegedly publishing certain articles in a campus newspaper called GAPOSA Trumpet in which he served as the Editor.

“Babalola recently graduated from the Gateway Polytechnic located in Sapaade, Ogun State, where he read Mass Communication.

“The said articles which were deemed critical of President Buhari, APC Leader, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the EFCC also led to the dismissal of a lecturer of Gateway Polytechnic who served as the producer of the campus newspaper.

READ ALSO: 2023: Buhari didn’t promise to make Tinubu his successor – NIWA chief

“He was arrested on Thursday in Abeokua by the State Security Service (SSS) and taken before a Magistrate Court on Friday.

“His appeal to the SSS for him to be allowed to contact me as his counsel was rebuffed. Mr. Babalola was only able to contact me through a third party from the Ibara Maximum Prison in Abeokua where he was remanded by the court.

“I understand that he was arraigned on a six-count charge of alleged incitement, conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace and others for allegedly publishing critical articles against President Buhari.

“The said articles also related to the travails of the leader of the RevolutionNow movement, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, and student activist, Comrade Femi Adeyeye.”

 

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