Omoleye Sowore, the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, was arrested by the police in Lagos on Wednesday.
The spokesperson for the Police Command in Lagos State, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest.
Badmos said Sowore was arrested over an alleged threat to life and blackmail of a London-based journalist, Lekan Fatodun.
She said Sowore was picked up in his home by policemen attached to Area ‘F’ command, Ikeja.
She added that the arrest followed a petition by Fatodun, alleging that Sowore published a story alleging that he (Fatodun) was involved in money laundering.
She said the publication alleged that Fatodun was assisting politicians to move money out of the country.
“The publisher was arrested this evening over threat to life and blackmail. Investigation is still going on,” she said.
In a Facebook post after his arrest, Sowore accused the police of being hostile towards him and planning his ordeal with Fatodun.
He also accused Fatodun of assaulting him in the presence of the police.
He said, “After the police “intervened” soon as I was attacked by Lekan Fatodu and his friends in Lagos we were taken to the CP’s office in Lagos.
“Turns out he was in on this, he pulled out a supposed petition written by Lekan from his hat after that he became very hostile towards me and ordered that we be driven to State CID, at Panti in Lagos.
“It is very obvious that this was planned between Lekan Fatodu and the police. They offered him unbridled support as he continued attacking me in the presence of the police. I could have been (sic) I am familiar with this style of the Nigerian police. We are now being driven to Panti in Yaba res (sic) of Lagos.
