Oriyomi Hamzat, Chairman of Sure Etiquette Media Plus Ltd, the parent company of Agidigbo 88.7 FM and TV, was said to have been arrested on Thursday morning by Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police Force. The arrest, the letter said, is in connection with Hamzat’s constant calls for justice in the murder case of a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Timothy Adegoke.
It was learnt that the State Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police, Eleyele had in a letter dated Monday, May 23 invited Hamzat to be at the office on Tuesday, May 24 at 11 am.
The letter obtained by source reads, “You are cordially invited to interface with the Officer in Charge of the State Intelligence Bureau, State Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan on Tuesday 24th May, 2022 at 11a.m.
“Venue: State Intelligence Bureau, Eleyele, Ibadan. Accept the warmest assurances of the Bureau best regards, please.”
It was signed by CSP Peter Ajogwu, the officer in charge of the SIB in Oyo State.
Upon honouring the invitation, Hamza was arrested and handed over to officials of the FIB who transported him to Abuja on Thursday morning.
It was gathered that the arrest was in connection with a petition by the Chairman of Hilton Hotel and Resort, Rahmon Adedoyin who is currently standing trial along with six employees of his hotel, Hilton Hotels, over the alleged murder of a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.
Adedoyin petitioned the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, alleging defamation, false alarm, incitement and unlawful interference with the police investigation and judicial proceedings.
The petition was addressed to the DIG, Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Area 10, Garki, FCT, Abuja; it also copied the Department of State Services (DSS), Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Ojo and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Adedoyin in his letter through his lawyer, Ahmed Aderoju, complained of criminal defamation, false alarm, incitement, false publication, cyberstalking and criminal threat against him by the founder of Agidigbo FM, Hamzat, and others including Babagbade Imo, Woibile and IJKFMB Music yard.
Meanwhile, the management of Agidigbo FM has confirmed the arrest of Oriyomi Hamzat by operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police Force. This was confirmed in a statement issued by Adebayo Grey, the Head of Station, Agidigbo 88.7 FM, Ibadan.
The statement reads, “We have been inundated with repeated calls and messages since the early hours of today following widespread concerns by well-meaning Nigerians home and abroad, our colleagues in the media and the general public about the safety of our Chairman at Sure Etiquette Media Plus Ltd, the parent company for Agidigbo FM, Ibadan, Agidigbo FM, Lagos and Agidigbo Television, Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat.
“Hence, we will like to use this medium to inform everyone that Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat has in the past few days been subjected to regular invites and questioning by several security operatives, including but not limited to the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB); all of which he dutifully honoured and attended to.
“The premise of these invites and questioning is not unconnected with his consistent call for due diligence in the trial of Chief Rahman Adegoke Adedoyin over the death of Timothy Adegoke who died under unfortunate circumstances in the former’s hotel in Osun State.
“It would be realized that Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat’s constant call for justice for the deceased has been a source of concern for the accused.
“However, the entire situation began to escalate when the SIB started plans to hand over Mr. Hamzat to the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and in the early hours of today, Thursday, 26th of May, 2022, he was arrested and as we speak has been whisked away to Abuja.
“We seek to reiterate here to well-meaning Nigerians, the media and the general public, that the reason for which Mr. Oriyomi Hamzat was arrested is his defiant call for justice for Timothy Adegoke and extensive support for the deceased’s family.
“We, therefore appeal to all Nigerians to kindly lend their voice to ensure that Oriyomi Hamzat won’t be subjected to inhumane treatment and undue incarceration just for standing for the truth and for humanity.
“We are strengthened by the staunch support and camaraderie from several corners so far and we promise to keep the general public abreast of further developments. Thank you.”
The letter reads, “The four persons who are bloggers, online media practitioners and/or social media influencers have been criminally defaming, threatening, cyberstalking/cyberbullying our client over the circumstances surrounding the death of a lodger, Late Timothy Adegoke, in one of our client’s hotels {Hilton Hotel (Honours)} in Ile Ife, Osun State in November 2021.
“This is an issue being the subject matter of judicial proceedings and investigation by the Nigeria Police which, on 15th November 2021, invited and subsequently arrested our client for the purpose of investigation.
“But these bloggers embarked on a series of campaigns of calumny against our client, discrediting the police investigation and impugning the constitutional credibility of the Nigerian Police to incite the public against the constituted authorities, against our client and engendering violent breakdown of law and order.
“They alleged human killings and body dismemberment, fake Autopsy reports, made allegations of fake CCTV footage and secret cultism against our Dr Adedoyin. They carry out these crude illegalities via online outreaches like Facebook, YouTube and Agidigbo FM Radio and others…”