Ezimakor: detained by DSS

Nigeria’s Daily Independent newspaper has raised alarm about the continuing detention of Tony Ezimakor by the Department of State Services.

The journalist – Tony Ezimakor, who is Independent Newspapers’ Abuja Bureau Chief was arrested and detained on Wednesday morning after he honoured invitation of the secret police in Abuja, according to the media organisation.   The newspaper noted that Ezimakor was shunted from one office to the other on Wednesday and was asked to wait for a particular officer who was said to have been away from his office at the Abuja headquarters of the DSS before his eventual detention.

The Independent management said it had made frantic efforts through its lawyer, Douglas Ekhator, since Wednesday to see the detained Ezimakor but with little result.

It added that as at Thursday, it had received no news about Ezimakor, though Ekhator returned to the DSS office on Thursday morning.

The management in a statement said: “One thing is certain, Mr. Ezimakor was not given his medication though the lawyer who took it to him late Wednesday.

“We hereby alert the world to this real and present danger that Mr. Ezimakor is a high blood pressure patient and apart from taking his drugs, needs to see his doctors at very short notice.

“The implication is very clear; any outfit holding him for days is endangering his life.

“We reiterate that Mr. Ezimakor’s wife said the husband left home on Wednesday without medication and did not eat any food before leaving home Wednesday morning.

“She lamented that her husband’s health must be in grave danger, especially as DSS operatives have denied him access to his prescribed drugs.

“INDEPENDENT, therefore, is asking for its Abuja Bureau Chief’s immediate and unconditional release, otherwise his life is in serious danger.”