NAN reporter arrested, detained by police in Zaria

Abdullah Hassan, Zaria

The Sabon Gari Divisional Police Office in Zaria, Kaduna State, arrested and detained Malam Mustapha Yauri, Zaria District Correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for several hours on Tuesday.

Yauri was arrested by police while taking a picture of a trailer that blocked the Samaru- Zaria fly-over in a protest over a rift between the KASTLEA and trailer drivers Tuesday afternoon.

Narrating his ordeal to journalists, Yauri said: ‘After I conducted interviews with some eyewitness on the crises between KASTLEA and drivers, I then proceeded to the main scene where the trailers blocked the road to snap pictures

‘A police officer in mufti attempted to seize my phone, which I declined. I then went further to show him my Identity card where the ID card was immediately seized by the police.

‘Thereafter, the officer insisted that I must surrender my phone to him. I then said “I don’t know you, I can’t give you my phone”.

‘The police officer, whom later I learnt that he is the Divisional Crime Officer, then called some armed police men and told them to take me to the police station to detain me and bring my phone back to him.

‘Immediately the three armed police officers acted swiftly where they jerked my trousers and pushed me into their waiting vehicle.

‘On our way to the station in the police Hilux van, the armed police men forcefully collected my mobile phone and dropped me at Sabon Gari Divisional Police Office at the Area Command Headquarters at PZ Zaria.

‘While at police detention, I begged one of the police officers for a mobile phone to reach my Zonal Manager and other colleagues who make efforts to reach higher authorities for my release.

‘I was detained at the police station for many hours before the DPO Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi came into the office and called me for a meeting in his office where he apologised for what happened to me,’ Yauri said.

The reporter was subsequently released from detention, with his mobile phone, NUJ and NAN staff Identity cards earlier seized returned to him.