Ekiti Police detain FIJ reporter over story on FUOYE VC
Police in Ekiti State on Tuesday detained Sodiq Atanda, a senior reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
Atanda was detained after he honoured an invitation linked to his reporting on Abayomi Fasina, the on-leave vice chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
FIJ reported on its website on Tuesday that Atanda is being held on the orders of Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Joseph Eribo.
The police had earlier summoned Atanda based on a petition filed by Fasina, who accused the journalist of cyberbullying, blackmail and criminal defamation.
The invitation letter, signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Musa Hadi, indicated that the petition was submitted by Fasina’s lawyers.
“This office is investigating a complaint via petition from T. S Adegboyega & CO. (Solicitors, Advocates and Notary Public) of 141, Station Road, Idi-Seke, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria on behalf of his Client Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina,” Hadi wrote as reported by FIJ.
FIJ has published a series of reports alleging that Fasina sexually harassed Folasade Adebayo, a director at the university, and humiliated her after she rejected his advances.
The outlet also reported that Fasina admitted in audio recordings to bribing two former governing council members to approve the appointments of the university’s bursar and registrar.
According to FIJ, the school’s governing council has been retraumatizing Adebayo by framing Fasina’s conduct as a friendly relationship between the two and asking her to apologise to the council.
“In the heat of those reports, Fasina abruptly got the council to approve a six-month leave for him in April and to enable the council to review the earlier internal report absolving him of his wrong actions,” FIJ wrote.
The outlet further alleged that Fasina “resorted to different tactics to prevent an unbiased investigation into the sexual harassment.”
“In February, the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ekiti arrested Agbeleoba Samuel Oyeyemi, a younger brother to Adebayo, in gestapo style.
“His arrest was directly linked to Fasina’s sexual misconduct against the woman. Shortly after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) commenced a fresh probe against Fasina, he obtained a court order to shield himself from the probe. He is currently pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the woman before a court in Ekiti,” FIJ added.
Declining press freedom
Despite promises by the Tinubu administration to protect the media, cases of arrests, harassment, and intimidation of journalists are increasing.
Nigeria ranks 112th out of 180 countries on the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, with Reporters Without Borders describing it as one of the region’s most dangerous countries for journalists.
Authorities often rely on the Cybercrime Act to target reporters. Passed in 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, the law has been used against at least 25 media practitioners.
In 2024, President Tinubu amended the Act, tightening Section 24 on cyberstalking. The section criminalises sending false messages online that may “annoy” or “offend” others, with penalties of up to three years in prison or a minimum fine of ₦7 million.
