- By Our Reporter
The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday asked for a sum of five hundred thousand naira to release the Assistant News Editor of OSUN DEFENDER Newspaper, Yusuf Oketola, on bail.
Oketola, had appeared at the Zone XI headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, in Osogbo, following an invitation by the command acting on a petition of an alleged defamation case.
It was gathered that after interrogation on the reason for the invitation, the journalist was detained by the police for several hours, while his lawyer applied for bail.
The medium learnt that the journalist was invited based on a March 28, 2025 report with the title, “Three Bankers Drag Osun Magistrate To Chief Judge Over Kano Transaction.”
The report was from a petition addressed to the State Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, by three staff of a new generation bank in Osun State, against Magistrate Adekanmi Adeyeba, accusing him of abuse of powers, intimidation, among others, through their counsel, A.M. Aliyu of Aliyu, Aliyu, Honour & Co.
They alleged that the Magistrate granted an order for reversal of the sum of N11,812,750.25 from Jaiz Bank Account Number: 0011426749 belonging to Auwal Shehu Yakasai to Access Bank Account Number:1391322450 belonging to one Chuanxin Qiu, notwithstanding the order of interim injunction from the Kano State High Court restraining the Bank (Jaiz) from reversing the money. The order was granted on September 30th, 2024.
The bankers, in the petition addressed to the CJ and dated March 2025, accused Magistrate Adeyeba of conspiring with Chuanxin Qiu through his lawyer Chief K E Ngwoke.
They alleged that while investigation was ongoing, Chuanxin Qiu, an applicant in the matter, through his lawyer Chief K E Ngwoke filed a fresh application before Magistrate Court 5 presided over by Adeyeba for reversal of the sum of N11,812,750.25 from Jaiz Bank Account Number: 0011426749 belonging to Auwal Shehu Yakasai to Access Bank Account Number: 1391322450 belonging to Chuanxin Qiu without any administrative transfer of the matter from Magistrate Court One to any other Magistrate Court.
The petitioners stated that Magistrate Adeyeba went ahead to grant the application on September 20, 2024 and directed Jaiz Bank Plc to reverse the said money from Jaiz Bank Account Number: 0011426749 belonging to Auwal Shehu Yakasai to Access Bank Account Number: 1391322450 belonging to Chuanxin Qiu instead of him to reject the application for being an abuse of court process and premature following the ongoing investigation of a related criminal complaint.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that Oketola was detained because he failed to reveal the source of his story.
Findings revealed that a plain clothe police man who introduced himself to the representative of the management as ‘Inspector Sola’, demanded the sum of N500,000 for the editor’s ‘bail’. Officially the Nigeria Police maintains a ‘bail is free’ policy.
While the request was made, the newspaper management declined to pay.
It was further gathered that the counsel to the three bankers did not also mention either Oketola’s name nor OSUN DEFENDER in the petition addressed to the police over the matter, Sources privy to the case added that it was Chief K.E. Ngwoke, who in defence of the petition alleged that he was defamed in the March 2025 report.
The medium learnt that the sum of N50,000 was later ‘extorted’ from Yusuf Oketola’s family members to secure his release, after OSUN DEFENDER refused to pay the illegal bail ‘fee’.
“While his statement was taken after preliminary interrogation, he was detained for hours, while his legal team proceeded to seek his bail. The main reason he was detained was because he failed to disclose his source.
“What happened was that in the initial petition written by the Jaiz bankers’ lawyers, neither the Editor’s name nor OSUN DEFENDER was mentioned. It was Ngwoke who referred to the newspaper’s story in his statement and that was what led to his invitation.
“The motive of the detention was to intermittently quiz him to reveal his source. When the officers saw that he would not disclose his source, he was then detained.
“During the process, the IPO, who identified himself as Inspector Sola, asked Oketola’s lawyer to inform his organisation to pay a sum of N500,000 for his release. His lawyer objected to it. It took the intervention of the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Osun State, Wasiu Ajadosu, who met with the AIG of Zone XI to mediate in the matter. He was later released after some members of his family paid N50,000, as the newspaper refused to pay.”
Speaking after his release, Oketola reiterated his commitment to adhering to the ethos of journalism.
“We didn’t defame anyone in the story. What we only did was to report a petition against the Magistrate duly signed by a counsel. I confirmed the story from our sources. We will continue to uphold the true tenets of journalism at OSUN DEFENDER.
“We have always been at the forefront of upholding the TRUTH and true tenets of Journalism at all times. This is our core mandate and we will continue to stand by it.”
OSUN DEFENDER over the years has been the home for responsible journalism, with exclusive stories, in-depth reports, and impactful analysis, mirroring the society.
The stories have also, at one time or the other, set the tone and agenda for public discourse, holding the government accountable and giving a platform for citizens to call their leaders to account.
The Public Relations Officer of the Zone XI command, Osogbo, DSP Ade Ogunyemi, is yet to respond to a text and WhatsApp message sent to him by OSUN DEFENDER as at press time.
Also, efforts to reach the outgoing Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, for comments on the matter proved abortive at the time of filing this report.
