Police Release Premium Times Publisher, Reporter

By Dipo Olowookere

Publisher of Premium Times, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, has been granted bail by the police after he was arrested on Thursday evening at the paper’s office in Abuja.

Mr Olorunyomi was apprehended today alongside the newspaper’s judiciary correspondent, Ms Evelyn Okakwu, over their stories on the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army Staff, Mr Tukur Buratai.

They were taken away by plain-clothed policemen based on petition to the police reportedly by the army chief.

But later in the evening, the two journalists were granted bail by the police and told to report at the FCT Police Command Headquarters by 8am on Friday.

The arrest raised eyebrows with some alleging the army and Mr Buratai were making efforts to gag the press.

Even the Amnesty International condemned the arrest and promised to launch an investigation into the motive behind it.