Togo: Togolese Journalist Kidnapped, Assaulted in a Case of Mistaken Identity

What the report says

The Committee to Protect Journalists is urging Togolese authorities to investigate the kidnapping and assault of Roland Yaovi Kodjo, a journalist and camera operator for Tampa TV, after armed men seized him on Sept. 5 and released him hours later when they realized he was not the person they had intended to target. The incident took place while Kodjo was covering a traditional festival in Guérin-Kouka, in northern Togo, according to the report cited by AllAfrica.

CPJ said Kodjo was approached by a man who asked about his link to the TAMPA media group, then forced into a vehicle with three other men, one of whom appeared to be wearing a police uniform. Kodjo told CPJ that he was handcuffed, blindfolded, slapped and punched during the ordeal. He said his captors questioned him about reporting that criticized authorities and were apparently looking for Francisco Napo-Koura, the publishing director of Tampa Express.

The report says Kodjo was later dumped in a village near the Ghanaian border, about 55 kilometers away, and warned not to tell his employer. Napo-Koura has separately asked Togo’s media regulator to help shed light on the case, while the Togolese Press Employers' union called for action against impunity. CPJ also placed the attack in a broader regional context, noting other recent seizures of journalists and concern over growing intimidation of the press in sub-Saharan Africa.