…Says Case Was Withdrawn After Activist Intervened
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Investigative journalist Idibia Gabriel has narrated his experience after he was taken to a police station in Kaduna following a complaint by a hotel owner over alleged trespass and suspected drug-related activities. Gabriel said the incident occurred at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday near his residence in Ungwan Boro, Kaduna South, while he was on his way to work.
According to him, two men who identified themselves as police officers, one in uniform and another in plain clothes, arrived in a private vehicle driven by Victor Balogun, owner of De Jay’s Guest-In Hotel in Ungwan Boro.
Gabriel said the plain-clothed officer told him that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Sabon Tasha Police Station wanted to question him over a complaint lodged by Balogun. He alleged that the hotel owner accused him of entering the premises despite an earlier warning and claimed he had been seen there with a man carrying a bag and allegedly selling cannabis and other prohibited substances.
Gabriel said he was not shown the alleged video evidence or introduced to any witnesses at the station. He denied the allegations and notified officials of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, and the Correspondents’ Chapel. He said the matter was subsequently withdrawn at the police station following the intervention of human rights activist Daniel Ejembi, although Balogun reportedly indicated that he intended to pursue the matter in court.
Gabriel linked the dispute to a report he published about a security raid at the hotel, during which suspected drug dealers and internet fraud suspects were reportedly arrested. He also alleged that Balogun had previously threatened him over the report. Balogun’s response to the allegations was not available at the time of filing this report.
