Agba Jalingo

Gender: Male
All Journalist

On August 19, a group of about 15 police officers arrested Jalingo, publisher of the privately owned news website CrossRiverWatch, at his home in Ogudu, in Lagos state, according to Jalingo, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app, CrossRiverWatch editor Ugbal Jonathan, who spoke with CPJ by phone, and a statement by the International Press Centre, a local press group. Officers detained Jalingo at a police station close to his home, and then transferred him to Ikeja, the capital of Lagos state, where he was held until about 11 a.m. on August 20; then, officers flew Jalingo to a police station in the Federal Capital Territory, a federally administered region of Abuja, the capital, the journalist told CPJ. Jalingo’s arrest was in response to a defamation and cyberattack complaint filed on behalf of Elizabeth Alami Frank Ayade, sister-in-law of Lagos state Governor Benedict Ayade, according to Jalingo, Jonathan, and a copy of that complaint reviewed by CPJ. Authorities released Jalingo on bail at about 10 p.m. on August 20, and ordered him to meet Elizabeth Ayade when called by police to discuss the issue on August 22; Jalingo returned to the police station on that date but Ayade was not there, and officers said they would summon him again, according to CrossRiverWatch and Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of the privately owned Sahara Reporters news website and a 2023 presidential candidate with the African Action Congress political party of which Jalingo is a member, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview.

Read More...