coalition of Nigerian groups in the United States have stepped up the clamour for the release of a US-based Nigerian blogger, Mr. Jonathan Elendu, from the custody of the State Security Service.
US-based Nigerian news agency, Empowered Newswire, reports that one of the Nigerian groups, PRONACO-US, has already deposited a petition against the Federal Government with the US government. Empowered Newswire reports that the US-based Nigerian Democratic Liberty Forum; the pro-government Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, NIDO in America; and the PRONACO-US are all raising questions on the arrest of Elendu as he arrived Abuja from the US penultimate Saturday.
A statement on Thursday from the Executive Director of the NDLF, Mr. Bukola Oreofe, said, “On behalf of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, the Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum hereby calls for the immediate release of Mr. Jonathan Elendu.” It described the arrest as “reminiscent of the lawlessness and dictatorship of military junta in the dark days of our history.”
The chairman of PRONACO-US, Dr. Baba Adam, issued an equally strong statement, expressing a feeling of disturbance on what the statement called “the recent abuses of the press by the Nigerian government and the deterioration of the freedom of expression and press.”
kenneth uwadi