The Department of State Service (DSS ) has released Tony Ezimakor, Abuja Bureau Chief of Daily Independent newspaper, after seven days in detention.
Civil rights groups and human rights activists asking the DSS to release Ezinakor, had planned to hold a protest in front of the DSS office today, Wednesday.
But the protest has now been called off following the journalist’s release.
He was released around 10:30pm on Tuesday. He left in company of his lawyer Douglas Ekhator.
Ezimakor had honoured the invitation of the agency last Wednesday but was detained while Jide Oyekunle, the photojournalist, who accompanied him there was allowed to leave after some hours.
Since then, he was held incommunicado.
The DSS had threatened not to release him until he disclosed the source of a story he wrote on Boko Haram
Ezimakor had written a story on how the Federal Government allegedly paid millions of dollars in exchange for the release of 82 Chibok schoolgirls.
He also highlighted the role allegedly played by the Swiss government. A security source said the Swiss government was embarrassed over how such information was made public.
Maintaining that he would not disclose his source, the newspaper asked DSS to charge the journalist to court but the agency refused.
