How I Was Arrested, Detained for Hours, Forced to Write Statement – Ogun NUJ Secretary, Bunmi Adigun, Narrates Ordeal

…Says Police Officer Acted Out of Vendetta over Old Facebook Post

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – The Secretary of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Bunmi Adigun, has narrated how he was arrested, detained, and forced to write a statement by the Police Area Commander of Zone 2, Abeokuta, ACP Ogundele Olorunwa, while seeking police assistance to restore sanity around the Union Secretariat.

According to Comrade Adigun, what started as a simple civic effort to address persistent nuisance around the NUJ Secretariat at Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, turned into a night of humiliation and abuse of power.

He explained that he had called the police to intervene after a defiant woman, allegedly one of the ladies of the night who often disturbed the area, refused to leave the Secretariat’s vicinity.

Shockingly, instead of resolving the issue, Adigun said he became the target of intimidation by the same police officer he had sought help from.

Adigun revealed that upon realizing his identity, the Area Commander accused him of having shared a Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) story on Facebook that mentioned the officer’s name.

“I was arrested for doing the right thing,” Adigun lamented. “Instead of helping to maintain order, the Area Commander used his position to settle a personal score.

“He detained me for hours, questioned my social media activities, and forced me to write a statement – all because I had once shared a legitimate news story about him. This is not policing; this is vendetta”, he added.

The Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a flagrant abuse of police authority and a gross violation of human rights.

In a statement signed by the Council, the NUJ denounced the Area Commander’s action as unlawful, vindictive, and unbecoming of a senior law enforcement officer, calling for an immediate investigation and disciplinary action.

“This is a disturbing pattern of misconduct that cannot be ignored. Our Secretary sought police support to address a public nuisance, only to be detained because of a personal grudge. It is a disgraceful abuse of office”, the statement read.

The Union further revealed that ACP Olorunwa already has a pending case before the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) – a fact, it said, that “raises greater concern about his professional integrity and conduct.”

The Ogun NUJ therefore called on the State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, to take urgent and decisive action to restore public confidence and discipline within the command.

“We hold the police in high regard and enjoy a cordial working relationship with officers of integrity in Ogun State. However, the actions of one errant officer must not be allowed to tarnish the image of the entire force.

“We demand that the Area Commander be queried, investigated, and disciplined appropriately”, the statement said..

The Council emphasized that it would not tolerate any form of intimidation, harassment, or unlawful detention of journalists, warning that such actions undermine press freedom and the rule of law.

“This is bigger than one person,” the NUJ declared. “It’s about accountability, justice, and the right of journalists to work without fear. Ogun NUJ stands firmly with Comrade Bunmi Adigun and will pursue this matter until justice is served.”