The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the sanction of the head of a police unit linked to the controversial arrest of Adenike Atanda, wife of Sodeeq Atanda, a senior investigative Journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), following her detention alongside her nine-month-old baby at a Divisional Police Headquarters at Owutu area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The directive follows public outcry over the detention of the journalist’s wife and nine-month-old child, allegedly used as bait to lure him.
FIJ reported that Adenike and the infant were released on Monday evening, shortly after police operatives arrested her husband, Sodeeq Atanda, who was later released on order of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
According to FIJ, Adenike and the baby were earlier taken to a police station in Owutu, where they were allegedly detained for several hours as “bait” to get her husband arrested.
According to a Tuesday publication by FIJ, Adenike said she was instructed to call Atanda and tell him that their child was ill and had been taken to the hospital.
“When they realised my husband was no longer far from the house, the policemen drove me and my baby and me 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,” she told FIJ.
Activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, strongly reacted to the development, criticising the police tactics as “deeply disturbing,” accusing IGP Egbetokun of collaborating with private interests to abduct civilians and undermine law and order.
He said the episode exemplified systemic issues within the Nigeria Police Force, potentially eroding public trust.
However, reacting to Sowore’s statement on Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, noted that IGP Kayode Egbetokun, upon learning of the situation, frowned at the development and ordered the immediate release of the journalist.
Hundeyin said, “Inasmuch as you might want your depiction of the IGP to be true, it isn’t. I was with him last night when Mojeed Musikilu of the International Press Institute reached out to me about the arrest. I promptly informed the IGP, and he was miffed. You might choose to believe I am making this up, but it is the truth.”
“He directed that the head of the unit (not a DPO as you claimed) be contacted to release the journalist immediately. I updated Mojeed accordingly.”
The IGP also ordered a thorough investigation into the arrests, as well as sanctions against the head of the police unit involved for professional misconduct.
“The IGP was particularly angry that this came up at a time when the Police had pledged and are taking tangible steps to ensure press freedom. He equally ordered that the head of that unit be sanctioned for his conduct.
“IGP Egbetokun does not want and would not condone any setback to our support for press freedom,” Hundeyin added.
