The Nigeria Police Force has released Adenike Atanda, the wife of a senior investigative reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, alongside her nine-month-old baby, following their reported detention in the Owutu area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
FIJ disclosed that Adenike and the infant were released on Monday evening, shortly after police operatives arrested her husband, Sodeeq Atanda, a senior investigative reporter with the organisation, who was later freed.
According to FIJ, Adenike and her baby were taken to a police station in Owutu, where they were held for several hours before officers allegedly asked her to contact her husband.
In an account published by the organisation, Adenike narrated how she was instructed to call Atanda and falsely inform him that their child was ill and had been taken to the hospital.
She said, “When they realised my husband was no longer far from the house, the policemen drove me and my baby to a street not far from our home. And when they saw him, they handcuffed him and took him away. That was when they released my baby and me.”
Naijaonpoint learnt that Atanda was immediately taken from the area to the Force Headquarters annex in Obalende, Lagos, where he was detained for several hours.
The organisation added that the journalist was eventually released shortly before midnight.
Alleged Failed Invitation Attempt
Linking the incident to an earlier attempt to invite Atanda for questioning, FIJ said that on November 26, a person identified as ‘Omo Eleniyan’ contacted the journalist via WhatsApp, claiming to be attached to the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters.
The message read, “I’m a police officer attached to the IGP Monitoring Unit, Lagos Annex. An approved petition was referred to my department from the office of the Inspector-General of Police for further investigation, and your name has been mentioned and alleged. That was why you have been invited, sir. Thanks for cooperation and understanding.”
FIJ said Atanda responded by providing the organisation’s official email address and requested that any formal invitation be sent through that channel.
However, the sender reportedly replied, “The invitation is for you, not for the organisation.”
When Atanda insisted that communication should go through FIJ, the organisation said the sender responded, “Alright, sir. No problem.”
FIJ added that no further communication was received until Monday evening, when Adenike and the couple’s infant were detained.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the detention and release of Atanda’s wife and child.
However, responding to a text message sent to the Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, she reportedly said, “A reporter from FIJ called last night in this regard, and he said at FHQ, I am yet to get facts on this. I’m still trying to reach FHQ Annex.”
Naijaonpoint reports that concerned Nigerians have condemned Atanda’s arrest on social media, arguing that the detention of a journalist and his family raises serious concerns about press freedom and the conduct of law enforcement agencies.