The Presidency has dissociated itself from the expulsion of The PUNCH correspondent, Olalekan Adetayo from the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Monday by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the President, Bashir Abubakar.
Reacting swiftly to the expulsion, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said that the CSO took such action without consultation with his office.
In a tweet, Adesina assured the nation that the President is still committed to press freedom in Nigeria.
“We weren’t consulted in the media office by the CSO before he expelled The Punch reporter. President Buhari is committed to press freedom.
“An amicable solution would be found to The Punch reporter matter. President Buhari does not intend to muzzle the media in any way”, he twitted.
The CSO had earlier summoned Adetayo to his office and questioned him on two reports he considered uncomplimentary of Buhari and his administration.
according to the reporter, the CSO referred to the lead story of SUNDAY PUNCH of April 23, 2017, titled: “Fresh anxiety in Aso Rock over Buhari’s health” and queried the motive behind it.
He said that the security chief also referred to his column, Aso Rock Lens, published on Saturday, April 22, 2017, and titled: “Seat of power’s event centres going into extinction.”
According to Adetayo, the CSO asked one of his men to go and take Adetayo’s statement and revert to him and thereafter, he directed the Officer in Charge, Department of State Services, Victor Nwafor, to withdraw his accreditation tag and led him out of the premises after retrieving his personal belongings from the Press Gallery of the Council Chambers.
Nwafor left an instruction at the Admin Reception that Adetayo should no longer be allowed into the premises after which he handed him over to another security operative who led him to where his car was parked to ensure he left the premises as instructed.
It is on record that President Buhari had, upon assumption of office in May 2015, restored the accreditation of Ubale Musa, a DeutchWalle correspondent after it was withdrawn by the government of Goodluck Jonathan.
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