The Police Command in Zamfara on Saturday detained Umaru Maradun, the correspondent of the Leadership Newspapers for writing a blog report critical of Governor Bello Matawalle’s close aide, Abubakar Jafar.
Although the state Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkanah, confirmed the arrest of the journalist, he however did not disclose the reason for the arrest.
Insiders however told DAILY NIGERIAN that the journalist wrote a report in a newsblog, analysernews.com, alluding that Mr Maradun, who is a permanent secretary in the governor’s office, was leaking government secrets to PDP governorship candidate, Dauda Lawal.
Mr Elkanah, who spoke to Ibrahim Maizare, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Zamfara Council, on phone, said he would look into the matter before further action.
Mr Maradun was arrested in his home town in Maradun Local Government Area and home of the governor
He was arrested in the early hours of Saturday and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, in Gusau, the state capital.
Mr Maizare had led officials of the NUJ and that of Correspondents’ Chapel to the command headquarters and secured the journalist’s release on bail on Sunday.
