Call to free Nigeria TV presenter

One of the guests criticised President Obasanjo on the show

Nigerian authorities have been asked to release a television presenter detained by state security officials.

The Committee to Protect Journalists Media campaign group says Mike Gbenga Arubela was arrested on Wednesday.

The day previously, he had hosted a show discussing next year's presidential elections on which a guest criticised President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The director-general of state security said he was picked up on the basis of a court warrant, AFP news agency reports.

"We are going according to the rule of law and the norms, and the norms say when an investigation is in progress in a case, you don't disclose the details of that case until the investigation is completed," Kayode Are said.

African Independent Television (AIT) was asked to hand over a tape of Tuesday's Focus on Nigeria programme, which Mr Arubela had hosted.

According to the CPJ, it was the second raid on AIT's Abuja offices in a month.

On 14 May, plain clothed security agents told managers at the Abuja bureau to stop broadcasting a privately produced 30-minute documentary about attempts by Nigerian leaders to prolong their time in office.

A few days later, Nigeria's Senate threw out a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed Mr Obasanjo to seek another term in office.