A journalist with one of Nigeria's popular publishing houses, Daily Trust has been arrested in Niger Republic.
The Deputy Editor of Daily Trust, Danjuma Lawan Adamu, was on Sunday, October 18, arrested & detained by security officers in Niger Republic while he was on an assignment investigating the route used by Nigerian youth to migrate to European countries.
A statement from the media house says Danjuma was arrested and is being detained over allegations of inappropriate travel documents.
Daily Trust executive director/editor-in-chief Malam Mannir Dan Ali in a statement quoted Danjuma as saying: "I got necessary travel approvals from the Nigerien consulate in Kano, Nigeria and at every checkpoint; I presented them upon request and was allowed to proceed."
"I had passed up to 10 checkpoints and was cleared accordingly until I approached Agadez. The security alleged that the document authorizing my journey was signed but wasn’t stamped. I have been detained since then and am left wondering how I should be punished for a fault of no mine."
"As an experienced cross border reporter, Lawan Danjuma sought and got the relevant documentation from the Kano Consulate office of the Nigerien embassy after stating his mission to Agadez".
Dan Ali added that "It was the same documentation that he used at different check points including the Nigeria/Niger border post at Kongolom, Katsina state and was only stopped and arrested on reaching Agadez”.
Meanwhile Daily Trust is calling for the immediate release of Danjuma.