The police have arrested 10 persons, including a journalist, some activists, and protesters, during a peaceful protester in the ongoing 11-day nationwide protest in Calabar, Cross River State.
CONVERSEER gathered that the journalist, activists, and peaceful protesters were beaten and arrested by the police and taken to an unknown location.
The name of the journalist who was arrested is Jonathan Ugbal, Managing Editor of CrossRiverWatch, an online newspaper based in Cross River State.
While our Reporter is yet to get the names of the activists and protesters, the police carried the arrests in two raids on Thursday, 1st August 2024, at Marian by Mary Slessor Roundabout, Calabar.
Confirming the arrest of Ugbal shortly ending his LIVE streaming, Agba Jalingo, Publisher of CrossRiverWatch, said: “CrossRiverWatch Managing Editor, Jonathan Ugbal, arrested by the police in Calabar, handcuffed, beaten and taken to an unknown destination.”
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An activist, Friday Inoyo who is the chairman of Citizen Solution Network, a Civil Society Organisation, has called for the release of the arrested persons.
“The Cross River State Government and its handlers must be ashamed for conducting this abuse. Citizen Solution Network is calling for the release of all protestors arrested in a series of two raids led by details in the Governor’s Team.
“We condemn this attack on peaceful protestors and demand that they are released immediately without any conditions. Let the Cross River State Government realise that violation of human rights will be a great setback on whatever goodwill it might have enjoyed,” Inoyo said.
On his part, Barrister James Ibor, a human rights activist and Principal Counsel of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), said the arrest and torture of the activists and journalists were condemnable and reprehensible.
He alleged that the security agents who tortured the journalists came in four vehicles and were heavily armed.
“We challenged the authorities to produce any evidence that Ugbal and others were violent.
“I strongly suspect that the security agents are those attached to the state governor Senator Bassey Otu.
“But we know that Gov Otu, being a people-centric leader, cannot allow his agents to be this brutal.
“This is very sad. It is a disappointment and we call on Gov Otu to order the release of these journalists and activists whom I strongly believe are in government custody.”
When contacted on the phone on Thursday, SP Irene Ugbo, Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River State told CONVERSEER that the protest was not a peaceful protest and that the command was not informed of any protest.
Ugbo further said the journalist, activists, and protesters have been released.
“The protest was not a peaceful protest. As they gathered, before we knew it, they started recruiting people walking on the street to join them and started causing problem that’s why we arrested them.
“Before now, we did not receive any notice of protest from them. However, they have been released,” Ugbo said.
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