The Lagos State Police Command has reportedly arrested Adenike Atanda, the wife of Sodeeq Atanda, a senior reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), alongside their nine-month-old baby.
According to FIJ, the arrest occurred on Monday evening in the Owutu area of Ikorodu, Lagos, after police officers traced the journalist’s family to their neighbourhood.
In a statement, FIJ confirmed that officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) carried out the arrest, noting that neither Adenike Atanda nor her infant child is a journalist or public figure.
“As of the time of filing this report, FIJ has not been informed of any offence committed by Atanda’s wife or her baby,” the organisation said.
FIJ added that efforts were ongoing to determine the reason for the arrest and the whereabouts of the detained mother and child.
The incident has raised concerns among media and civil society groups over the treatment of journalists’ families and the use of law enforcement actions that appear unrelated to any disclosed criminal allegation.
