From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Nearly two weeks after his abduction, the Federal Government has finally confirmed the whereabouts of Segun Olatunji, the editor of FirstNews, saying he is held up at a detention facility owned by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The government also confirmed plans to secure his immediate release from the facility at the latest today (Thursday).
The publisher of FirstNews, Daniel Iworiso-Markson who disclosed this in a statement said the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris had informed him of the latest development via a phone call on Wednesday night.
According to Iworiso-Markson, Idris described the circumstances surrounding the detention of Olatunji as unfortunate, noting that the news of his arrest was not made known to him early enough but that the moment it was brought to his attention, he swung into action by reaching out to the relevant security agencies.
Iworiso- Markson quoted Idris to have explained that he, along with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, made frantic efforts to get the army to release him, but on several occasions, they denied that Olatunji was not in their custody.
He stated that, but for the persistent effort of the NSA, they finally found out that he was in the custody of the DIA, an agency under the command of Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye.
Iworiso-Markson also disclosed that he had received assurances too from the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, that Olatunji would regain his freedom on Thursday.
“But for the increased pressure mounted by the media and other well meaning Nigerians, urging the federal government through the President to direct the military to release Segun Olatunji, only God knows what would have become his fate.
“The most recent press release issued by the International Press Institute (IPI) categorically fingered the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) as being behind the abduction of Olatunji.
“As the family and management eagerly await his release today, it calls for sober reflection how institutions of government like the military continue to subvert the good intentions of the government by making mockery of the healthy and robust relationship that the President Bola Tinubu administration has been building with the media and citizens in the last ten months” Iworiso-Markson said.