The House of Representatives yesterday askedInspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim to tender a written apology to four journalists of the Nation newspapers over their 'illegal arrest and detention by the Police'.Adopting the report of the ad-hoc committees on Justice, Human Rights, Police Affairs, and Media and Public Affairs set up to investigate the matter, the lawmakers resolved that the House will not recommend compensation for the journalists, as their cases were still under investigationThe MPs also called on Ringim to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the letter which was purportedly forged by journalists and prosecute anyone found guilty of criminal involvement in accordance with the law.Committee chair Rep Ali Ahmad said their report uncovered a breach of the constitution in the mode of arrest of the journalists while discovering that the purported forged letter was referred to the IGP by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).Rep Ahmad said that the AGF asked Ringim to investigate and keep him of progress report and the eventual outcome of the investigation saying, 'it was discovered that the IG did not, but rather went on to arrest them and had wanted to charge to court without considering the fact that sedition was no longer applicable in the Nigerian constitution.'We also found out that one Lemmy SK wrote a letter to former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he was responsible for forging his (Obasanjo's) signature for the purpose of bringing attention to the fraud taking place in the organisations mentioned in the letter.'The lawmakers also said the arrest and detention of Mr Unachukwu John Austin, the legal counsel to the Nation Newspapers who was rendering his professional service to his client, was indefensible and therefore the inspector general should offer him a written apology on behalf of the Nigeria Police.
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