Abduction: The DIA is lying against me, Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews, cries out

Segun Olatunji, the general editor of First News, who was kidnapped on March 15 and held captive by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for 12 days, has claimed that the agency had a plot to discredit him and propagate false information about him via a niche online news outlet.

In response to an online report that stated Olatunji had acknowledged receiving a contract to write a false report against the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, and that he had also expressed regret in writing about the report, Olatunji said the claims were baseless tales told by the DIA in an attempt to damage his reputation.

The online news website cited an official report that its correspondent allegedly saw, claiming that Olatunji had stated in both his written and audio confession that he was hired by Mr. Rotimi Williams to publish the Gbajabiamila story. Williams claimed to have sources in both the presidency and the special investigation team headed by Mr. Jim Obazee, which is looking into the former presidential assistant, Buhari.

“On January 24, 2024, Mr. Rotimi allegedly confirmed to Mr. Olatunji to go ahead and publish news about Gbajabiamila. Thereafter, on January 29, 2024, Olatunji went ahead to publish the story “.

“Mr. Olatunji further confirmed Mr. Rotimi paid him N170,000 for his effort to publish the news and give stipends to other online publishers, which Olatunji allegedly confirmed he syndicated the story to other websites.

“The report further cites the written apology note by Mr. Segun Olatunji of Firstnewsonline wherein he was said to have apologised and sought forgiveness from the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila for publishing the defaming story alleging that Gbajabiamila wanted to divert $30billion.”

DIA’s tales by moonlight, an afterthought, Olatunji

But reacting to new revelations, Olatunji said whatever lies and puerile excuse that are being put forward now by the DIA as defence for their illegal action against him are nothing but an afterthought on their over-zealousness in obeying an illegal and illegitimate order from their civilian masters in the highest corridors of power in Abuja.

He said: “It’s curious that the DIA has suddenly just found its voice through this obscure website to state its own so called “side of the story” of my abduction by its armed agents one month after they were prevailed upon to release me from their illegal detention. The DIA’s use of this obscure online website to state their case – their own Special Purpose Vehicle, their own creation and lying machinery – is laughable. But whatever lies and puerile excuse that are being put forward now by the DIA as defence for their illegal action against my person are nothing but an afterthought on their over-zealousness in obeying an illegal and illegitimate order from their civilian masters in the highest corridors of power in Abuja.

“It’s all nothing but tales by moonlight told to burnish their already battered image following their unfortunate involvement in a politically motivated matter in their desperate bid to please their civilian overlords. Anyone familiar with the modus operandi of the DIA, knows it’s usually an admixture of subtle threat, naked threat and outright force.

“Contrary to the lies by the DIA and its news website, there was nowhere an “emergency press conference” was organised by the Agency or any other body where I confessed to lying in the story published on Gbajabiamila and apologised to him. This so-called emergency press conference is a figment of the infantile imagination of the DIA and their sponsored website. This is part of the web of lies being woven by the DIA to justify the illegality of their action against me and to also discredit me.

“They should be bold enough to tell Nigerians where such an “emergency press conference” took place and when. They should also mention the various media organisations that covered their imaginary press conference.

“The N170,000 mentioned by the DIA-sponsored news website was picked from my WhatsApp conversation with my former colleague regarding his plan to purchase a used laptop from the Computer Village in Ikeja. How that has translated to an inducement for the Gbajabiamila story is what the DIA should explain. They should explain how they have threatened me to mention my former colleague, Rotimi Williams, as one of the sources for the Gbajabiamila story and how he had induced me with the N170,000.

“Concerning the re-publishing of the Gbajabiamila story by other websites, there’s no way First News can stop other news websites from copying its stories and re-publishing them. I want to state that I don’t even know many of the publishers of the other websites that published the Gbajabiamila story.

“Whatever statement the DIA has claimed I wrote was obtained from me under duress. The content of the statement was dictated by their Agents after they had ransacked my two phones for several days in search of the sources for stories published by First News. Before, they released me on March 28, I was even actually forced to apologise to Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, in the statement over the story on him, and compelled me to promise not to engage in “terrorism” anymore. Whatever that means.”

NPAN, NPO, BON, others condemn militarisation of civil space

Recall that the Nigerian Press Organisation, NPO, Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, Nigerian Union of Journalist, NUJ and their civil society partners, had recently condemned the increasing militarisation of the Nigerian civil space.

The media group, in reaction to the recent abduction of Olatunji also agreed that the matter be referred to the National Media Ombudsman for adjudication.

This followed the media group’s meeting with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on April 14, 2024, during which they made a demand on the government for accountability in respect of the abduction, torture, and detention of Olatunji by the military authorities.

According to the media group, the military during the meeting, said, “they acted to forestall a potential threat to national security and would have reported the matter to the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC) – The National Media Ombudsman – if they had been aware of its existence.”