Security operatives at the Passport Office in Accra on Thursday detained a journalist for several minutes accusing her of security breach. Hanna Odame, a reporter at Joy FM was interviewing frustrated passport applicants who had lined up outside the premises of the passport office when the two security operatives in plain clothes accosted her, ordered her to stop her recording and later ushered her into one of the offices. According to her, the men querried her for not asking permission before proceeding with her interviews and ordered her on two occasions to play the contents of her interview - an order to which she obliged. Even though the director of the passport office had cautioned her to bring a letter requesting for an interview the next time she wants information, the security operatives had other ideas and wanted to take the matter further. She told Myjoyonline.com but for the timely intervention of the Information Ministry she would have been taken to the national security for further interrogation. Security A deputy Information Minister, Baba Jamal who played a crucial role in the release of the journalist was humble in his rescue effort but cautioned all journalists to be wary of public places, especially those with security implications, before carrying out their duties. He told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh given the privacy of people’s personal data within the passport office the journalist ought not to have asked permission before proceeding with her interviews. He described the incident as unfortunate but partly blamed the reporter for not respecting the rules of the passport office. “We need to make it clear that there are rules and regulations and for that matter if a person is going to do your work, your own work, yes but within the confines of the rules and regulations of other departments. If you don’t do that we will not be safe as a country,” he said. “We should all learn that areas like the passport office, areas where people’s personal information is concerned; it is a matter of security that we need to protect,” he said.