Amnesty International has called on the police to release a journalist detained for criticising Information and Culture Minister, Lai Muhammed.

Rotimi Jolayemi was arrested and detained 3 weeks ago for reciting a poem directed at the minister in a Yoruba radio program ‘Bi aye se ri.’   The program was aired in the Osun State Broadcasting Service and Kwara Radio.

Jolayemi is the Vice-Chairman, Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria, Osun State Chapter.

According to reports, on hearing about his imminent arrest and detention, he went into hiding while his wife, Dorcas and 2 brothers were picked up and detained for failing to reveal his whereabouts.

They were all held in police custody for over one week until the journalist turned himself in on the 6th of May. He was subsequently transferred to Abuja on the 7th of May and has been kept there since then.

In its call for the release of the detained journalist, Amnesty International said Jolayemi’s arrest is unlawful. They demanded his immediate release.

In a message posted on its Twitter handle, the Human Rights group said that: “Jolayemi – a journalist was unlawfully arrested on May 6 over a poem considered critical of Minister of Information, Lai Muhammed.

“His too (wife and 2 brothers) was unlawfully detained for 8 days in squalid condition.

“We are calling on authorities to immediately release him.”

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