File image of security officers at a protest scene.
By Ike Uchechukwu
Some persons, including the Cross River state correspondent of the Nation newspapers, Nicholas Kalu, were on Monday, arrested at the Cultural center, Calabar venue of the #RevolutionNow protest in the state.
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Vanguard gathered that the news editor, Jonathan Ugbal ,as well as the managing editor, Jeremiah Archibong of an online medium, “CrossRiverwatch” were also arrested.
It is not clear the circumstances that led to the arrest of Mr. Nicholas as he was at the venue to cover the protest.
When contacted, the state Chairman of the NUJ, Com. Victor Udu, condemned the arrest of Nicholas Kalu and called for his immediate release.
His words: “I condemn the act totally. The Journalist is just doing his job. He did not go there with any weapon, he went there with his jotter and pen and nothing more except with intentions to serve the public by disseminating balanced report to the public.
“We call for his immediate, unconditional release, as he has committed no crime by carrying out his duty as a journalist,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, claimed ignorant of the arrests but added that the journalists would be released if they were ever arrested.
“I don’t know the situation, I’m not in the office ,but if at all he was arrested ,he will be released. ”
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach Nicholas Kalu who was arrested this morning proved abortive.
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