SPORTS JOURNALISTS DEMAND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF KUFRE CARTER
By Yinka Adewusi
The Akwa Ibom chapter of Sports writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has demanded the immediate release of a sport journalist , Kufre Carter who was quizzed by security agents on the orders of Akwa ibom state Government. In a statement jointly released and signrd by the chairman SWAN Akwa Ibom Comrade Emmanuel Akpan and Sec Gen Theopolis Udo , the association call for unxonditional release of the journalist
According to the statement “The attention of the leadership of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Akwa Ibom State Chapter has been drawn to the arrest and detention of one of its members, Comrade Kufre Carter by the State Security Service (SSS).
Comrade Kufre Carter, who is a sport presenter with XL106.9FM is a registered member and we hereby call for his unconditional release or be immediately charged to court.
Under normal circumstances, we would not have gotten to this stage because as a law abiding citizen, Comrade Kufre Carter had received a phone call to be at the State Security Service (SSS), Akwa Ibom state Command in Uyo on Monday over a purported audio conversation with a medical practitioner on the current fight against Corona virus in the State.
On his arrival at the state SSS office, he was detained and has been there for over twenty four hours without being told of his crime whether criminal or civil.
The continued detention of Comrade Kufre Carter by the SSS in the State has exposed him to a high risk of being exposed to the dreaded Corona virus as the preventive measures are said not to be taken into consideration at his incarceration center which is against the directives of the world health organisation, Federal and State Government on the fight against Corona virus.
As a public affairs commentator that is respected within and outside the State, our member did no harm in doing his comment and as a responsible citizen of Nigeria, he as no record of criminality and as such, should not be treated as a common criminal.
As we demand for his release with immediate effect, we urge the State Government, Human Rights Activists, and right thinking members of the public to join us in calling on the SSS to either release Comrade Kufre Carter unconditionally from detention or be charged to court.