(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Al Jazeera has once again urged the Nigerian authorities to release their journalists in Maiduguri now detained for a week without any explanation.
The detention has been condemned by Committee to Protect Journalists and Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of organisations working in support of credible and transparent elections.
Ahmed Idris and producer Ali Mustafa were restrained in their hotel in the morning of March 24 after returning from covering a story on the Nigerian forces fighting Boko Haram in Borno State.
The story was done with cooperation of the military and was part of Al Jazeera's special coverage on the elections. Al Jazeera is one of the most-watched news channels in Nigeria, with millions of viewers every day.
Equipment were confiscated from the hotel room and both men restrained without any logical explanation.
A military statement has accused them of "operating without protection, accreditation or due clearance".
However, Ahmed and Mustafa are accredited by Independent Electoral Commission in Abuja with the clearance to report from anywhere in the country during the election period.
The statement also said both men were said to be 'loitering' in locations, however they were detained in their hotel rooms. The statement gave a reminder about warnings given to "foreign" journalists, but Idris and Mustafa are Nigerians, from the northeast.
An Al Jazeera spokesperson said: "It has now been a week since our colleagues were detained. No explanation has been presented to us stating why they have been detained and what will happen next.
"Ahmed and Ali are officially accredited to report on the election and related issues and had worked on a story with cooperation of the military.
"As Nigeria is on the cusp of a democratic civilian transition, we call on authorities to release Ahmed and Ali. Detaining two respectable journalists without any reason is unacceptable. They should be released immediately."
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.