Elombah Brothers ‘Committed An Offence’ – IGP Idris

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday said that Daniel and Tim Elombah, the Publisher and Editor respectively, of United Kingdom-based online news website, Elombah.com were arrested because they “committed an offence.”

However, the Police Boss declined to state the nature of the offence they had committed.

IGP Idris has been lashed seriously in the media since the beginning of the New Year because of the manner the journalists and members of their families were harassed, brutalised and detained.

The Police Boss spoke to State House correspondents after his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari over the repeated killings in various communities in Rivers State, Benue State and other places.

The IGP was asked if the arrest of the Elombahs was linked to an opinion article that was critical of his professional and private life. He said, “Anyway I don’t need to send anybody but whenever you commit an offence it is our duty to ensure that we respond”.

The Online Publishers Association of Nigeria, OPAN, Nigeria’s premier association of digital/new media publishers, in a statement described the arrest of Daniel and his brothers “As part of a sustained plot by the Buhari administration to intimidate and suppress press freedom.”

Daniel Elombah in a release had earlier narrated how the Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) scaled the fence of their family in Edoji Uruagu Nnewi, Anambra State on New Year day, arrested him and some other family members without any explanations and warrant of arrest.

Elombah.com filed a suit on Thursday 4th January, 2018, challenging their arrest and the continued detention of Tim Elombah.