Investigative journalist and activist Tega Sampson Oghenedoro alias Fejiro Oliver, detained on the orders of the Niger State government has been released.
He was released on Friday after spending two weeks in the detention of the Department of State Security Service (DSS).
Fejiro was arrested on September 19, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Abuja upon arrival to honour an invitation by Niger State govt officials to get their own side of the story on a report of monumental fraud perpetrated by the administration of Governor Babangida Aliyu.
READ: Journalist Fejiro Oliver Declared Missing!, Niger State Govt Fingered
After initially denying the whereabout of the missing journalist as at the time he was arrested upon inquiries from the Niger state govt officials, they later claimed that the journalist was trying to extort the sum of 50m naira from the govt. [See: We kidnapped Nigerian Journalist, Fejiro Oliver To Teach Others A Lesson – Niger State Govt].
The govt published what was said to be a text message exchange betwen Fejiro Oliver and the Niger State government, but source who was in the know of the communication between Mr. Oliver and the Niger State govt officials said the govt failed to publish the real text message exchanged where they promised to deal with the journalist if he goes ahead to publish the story exposing the monumental fraud.
The text message evidence the govt released also did not show that Mr. Oliver demanded a N50 million bribe as alleged by the govt.
It is not immediately clear if Mr. Oliver was released on bail, as several human right activist and organisations have been mounting pressure on the Niger State govt for releasing the journalist who was only doing his job.
