The management of Agidigbo FM has confirmed the release of Oriyomi Hamzat from the custody of the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police Force.
This was confirmed in a statement on Friday, issued and signed by Adebayo Yousuph Grey, the Head of Station, Agidigbo 88.7 FM, Ibadan.
Hamzat was on Thursday morning arrested by officers of the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police Force.
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.
Upon honoring 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, Rahman 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.
However, a statement from Grey on Friday said Hamzat had been released on bail and “now a free man”.
The statement read, “It is with a heart filled with immense gratitude and huge relief that we confirm to the general public that Mr Oriyomi Hamzat has finally regained his freedom after the arrest that spanned the entirety of yesterday.
“He was released on bail to his lawyers after due conversations with the authorities, particularly with respect to the petition written against him by Rahman Adedoyin’s lawyers and the validity of his consequent arrest.
“As we have rightly stated yesterday, at no point was Mr Oriyomi Hamzat found guilty of cyberbullying neither did he refuse at any point to not honour invitations from the Nigerian Police Force as wrongly alleged by the Force PRO. Why this fable insinuation is being purveyed is completely beyond our grasp.
“Nonetheless, it is at this juncture that we express our heartfelt appreciation to all Nigerians who stood by us throughout yesterday’s trying moment, lent their voice #FreeOriyomiHamzat. This might not have been possible, especially this soon without your amplification of our concerns.
“We also say a huge thank you to the general public who joined in the peaceful protests that held in Ibadan yesterday to Nigerians in Diaspora for their prompt reactions, the Nigerian Union of Journalists and to all of our colleagues from the media who considered Mr Oriyomi Hamzat’s arrest as an injury to one that equates to an injury to all. We also appreciate the efforts of the legal team led by Barrister Adekunle Ridwan.
“This wasn’t just an attempt to stem undue incarceration of a man calling for justice but also an exercise in protecting the sanctity of free speech.
“We’ll keep the general public abreast of further developments, Oriyomi is a free man now. For that, once again, we say, thank you!”