CRUSADERS RADIO ON  AHMED LEE’S ORDEAL AND PRESS FREEDOM IN NIGER STATE

By Our Correspondent

On February 9, 2026, Crusaders Radio published a report based on a press statement issued by Niger South Youths, highlighting allegations against BY Daban (Yellow), an aide to Niger State Governor, from the protocol unit.

Following strict journalistic ethics and best practices, our journalist, Ahmed Isa Sakpe (Ahmed Lee), contacted BY Daban to seek his response to the allegations. Daban vehemently denied the allegations, and in line with our commitment to balanced reporting, we published his response alongside the original report on our Facebook page.

Shortly after publication, Daban and his counsel approached Ahmed Lee, requesting that we pull down the story to help him “save face”. Given that we had no personal or professional beef with Daban, and recognizing the importance of giving individuals the opportunity to address allegations, Ahmed Lee agreed to their request and the story was removed.

However, to our great dismay, Daban subsequently petitioned the police, falsely alleging that our report was defamatory. On Friday, February 13, 2026, Ahmed Lee was invited by the police and gave a statement regarding the matter. He was released on a bail bond of ₦20,000.

On Monday, February 16, we followed up with the police as requested, and were told to return on Thursday, February 19. On that same Monday, Ahmed Lee was summoned under the false pretense that the Commissioner of Police wanted to see him for a “little chat”. Upon arrival, he was dispossessed of all personal effects and detained without being notified of any offense.

When we inquired with police personnel who pleaded anonymity, we were informed that the detention order came from “above”. Given Daban’s position in the protocol unit, we inferred that “above” likely referred to the government house. However, after contacting our sources within the government house, we were assured that neither the State Governor nor anyone close to him was aware of the incident.

It appears that Daban is abusing his proximity to power to silence us and shield himself from public scrutiny.

We stand firmly by our publication and assert our rights under Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees freedom of expression and of the press, including the right to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.

Ahmed Lee’s detention constitutes

1. A direct assault on our constitutional liberty and that of every journalist in Nigeria

2. A violation of Section 22 of the Constitution, which mandates the press to hold government officials accountable

3. An infringement of journalist privilege, as it is a fact in law that a journalist cannot be detained to compel disclosure of sources

In light of this, we will republish the removed stories on our Facebook page in accordance with journalistic ethics and the public’s right to know.

We also note that Ahmed Lee’s arrest without being informed of the charges against him is a clear violation of his rights and is illegal under Nigerian law. We will explore all available options to assert his rights and protect him from undue intimidation and victimization.

We thank everyone who is standing with us to uphold press freedom, The Crusaders Radio Family, The Broadcast and Journalism Fraternity, Friends and colleagues from around the world (Canada, USA, Malaysia, The Gambia, UK, etc.), The State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Niger State, Comrade Dr. Abu Nmodu, Alhaji Mahmud Abdullahi (Chiefey), Barr UI Wali, and all who stand by the true ethics of journalism

We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will continue to speak truth to power.

Upholding the ethics of the profession remains sacrosanct and that is what we stand for.

Signed,

Chief (Ardo) Sony Otache

Chief Crusader