The Nigeria Police Force has firmly rejected allegations by the International Press Institute Nigeria linking the Inspector General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun to the arrest and detention of a journalist’s family members describing the claim as misleading unfounded and unsupported by facts.
The Force Headquarters in Abuja said at no point did the IGP authorize direct or condone the arrest harassment or intimidation of any journalist or their relatives insisting that attempts to drag his office into the incident were irresponsible and unfair.
The controversy followed the arrest on December 22 2025 of Mrs Adenike Atanda the nursing wife of investigative journalist Sodeeq Atanda of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism alongside her nine month old baby by officers attached to the IGP Monitoring Unit Lagos Annex. The arrest took place at Owutu Police Station Ikorodu Lagos and lasted several hours.
Reports indicated that Mrs Atanda and her infant were allegedly detained to compel the journalist to present himself over an ongoing investigation involving a private immigration consultancy accused of failing to refund fifteen thousand pounds to a client. Mr Atanda later turned himself in after which his wife and child were released. He was also briefly detained and later freed following interventions.
IPI Nigeria condemned the incident describing it as an illegal arrest by proxy which it said violates the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Police Act. The organisation further announced the suspension of all engagements with the Nigeria Police Force and suggested that the action reflected institutional hostility toward journalists given that the officers involved belonged to a unit under the IGP.
Reacting to the allegations the Police through the Force Public Relations Officer CSP Benjamin Hundeyin said the narrative being pushed by IPI was inaccurate and deliberately framed to implicate the IGP without evidence.
According to the Police the moment the IGP was informed of the incident by IPI President Musikilu Mojeed he immediately ordered the release of the journalist and directed the Force Monitoring Unit to commence an internal investigation into the conduct of the officers involved with a clear instruction remembering sanctions for anyone found culpable.
The Police stressed that misconduct by individual officers in a force of over three hundred thousand personnel cannot be automatically attributed to the leadership adding that established disciplinary mechanisms exist to deal with such cases.
The Force also claimed that contrary to IPI’s public position the media body declined repeated invitations to engage and collaborate with the Police on the investigation of the incident raising questions about its decision to suspend dialogue despite what the Police described as a prompt and decisive response.
Reaffirming its stance the Nigeria Police Force said it remains committed to the protection of press freedom constitutional policing and accountability while urging media organisations and advocacy groups to avoid sensational narratives capable of eroding public trust.
The incident has again brought to the fore longstanding tensions between security agencies and media rights organisations in Nigeria amid recurring concerns over journalist harassment and abuse of police powers.
While IPI maintains that the episode reflects a broader pattern of hostility toward investigative journalism the Police insist that no evidence exists linking the Inspector General of Police to the actions taken at the station level and that accountability will be pursued strictly within the law.
As investigations continue the case has reignited national debate on policing standards press freedom and the limits of operational discretion within Nigeria’s security architecture.
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