6 August 2019
PRESS RELEASE: ASSOCIATION OF CROSS RIVER ONLINE JOURNALISTS (ACROJ) CONDERM ARREST OF TWO OF HER MEMBERS IN CALABAR, YESTERDAY.
Gentlemen of the press, today the 5th of August 2019, men of the Cross River State Police Command arrested and unlawfully detained for over 12hours some of our colleagues who were at a public place, carrying out their constitutional duty of informing the public.
The members are;
Jeremiah Archibong, Managing Editor of Cross River Watch. Jonathan Ugbal, Government House Correspondent, Cross River Watch And Nicholas Kalu, state correspondent of the Nation Newspaper.
Despite detaining them for hours, the police authority is yet to inform these honest and innocent Nigerians of their offence.
We are aware that the authorities are planning to arraign them in court early tomorrow morning.
1. While as media men, we have always maintained our willingness to support the police in their duties, we must be quick to add that, ACROJ will use every lawful means and vehemently resist attempts to gag the media or cage our constitutional role.
2. We view this as a disgraceful attempt of the CP Agbolanhor led Cross River State Command to intimidate, harass and make mess of the media.
3. ACROJ calls on the state police command to immediately release our members within the next 24 hours or be ready to meet us in court for violating the right of our members.
Signed
Edem Darlington
Chairman
Association of Cross River Online Journalists – ACROJ
6 August 2019
