After spending 14 days in unlawful detention, Oloye Ayodele Samuel, publisher of Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper has been released, following a judgment in a Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State.
Justice Usman Bala ruled that the journalist, who is also the CEO of Rock FM should be released under the same bail conditions granted by the magistrate court where the case had begun.
Ayodele who had previously met the bail conditions granted by the Magistrate Court was unjustly remanded by the Taraba State Governor.
Announcing the release in a press statement signed by Akinwale Kasali, General Secretary of the Coalition for Journalists of Conscience, it was said that Ayodele is currently receiving medical care at a health facility due to distress and trauma he had faced in the past few days.
The statement reads in part that “Despite the unfortunate experience, the publisher remains resolute and courageous to keep on carrying out his duty objectively for the furtherance of the state and the nation.”
The coalition mentioned that “Ayodele Samuel along with his family, staff, and management of Taraba Truth and Facts also use this medium to thank all those who sympathized, advocated and contributed one way or the other to his release, and media organisations that spoke against his unlawful arrest.”