Madu Onuorah, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Globalupfront Newspaper (Online) was forcibly taken by police from his home in the Lugbe area of Abuja. The management of the online news platform reported on Thursday that Mr. Onuorah was abducted around 6 p.m. on Wednesday in front of his wife and children.

According to the news platform's management, the police operatives who took Mr. Onuorah away appeared stern and did not show an arrest warrant or explain the reason for his arrest, despite requests from his family. Furthermore, he was denied access to his lawyer.

"About ten fully-armed policemen arrived at his residence in Lugbe, Abuja, in two Sienna buses. He was arrested in front of his wife and children, who unsuccessfully demanded an explanation from the police for his arrest. The police seized Mr. Onuorah’s phones, cutting him off from communication with everyone, including his family. He wasn't allowed to contact his lawyer or any relatives before being taken to the Lugbe police station by the stern-looking operatives," the statement read.

When reached for comment, Josephine Adeh, the Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, clarified that the arrest was carried out by the Ebonyi State Police Command, not the FCT Command. "Yes, but FCT did not arrest him, it was Ebonyi State Police Command. So contact FPRO," Ms. Adeh said.

Mr. Onuorah’s abduction follows the similar arrest of Segun Olatunji, a former General Editor of First Mail, who was taken from his Lagos home by the military and released after about three weeks.

Additionally, it was reported that the case of an FIJ journalist who was detained incommunicado by the police for several days and eventually released in May following a protest by a coalition of Nigerian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and journalists in Abuja.

Read the full statement by Globalupfront Newspaper.

Police abduct another Editor in Abuja

*Picked in the presence of his wife, children

*Showed no Warrant for his arrest, nor disclose his offence

Nigerian Journalism once again came under attack on Wednesday, 22/5/2024 as the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Globalupfront Newspaper (Online), Mr. Madu Onuorah was whisked away by men of the Nigerian Police Force at about 6 pm.

About ten fully armed policemen stormed his residence in Lugbe, Abuja, in two Sienna buses.

He was arrested in the presence of his wife and children who fruitlessly demanded from the police why they were arresting the head of the family.

The police have seized Mr. Onuorah’s phones, thereby completely cutting him off from communication with people, including his family members.

He was not even allowed to contact his lawyer or any of his relations before he was whisked away to the Lugbe police station by the stern-looking operatives.

To make sure Mr. Onuorah did not get attention or bail, the policemen who arrested him, though not of the Lugbe Police Station, simply dumped him at the Station and left no traces for friends and family members to reach them.

The Management of Global-upfront Newspapers states as follows:

1. That the Police should release Mr. Madu Onuorah immediately and unconditionally.
2. That Mr. Onuorah is an experienced Journalist, former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper, former Managing-Director of The AUTHORITY Newspaper, who operates within the ambit of the law.
3. That anybody who has any issue against Mr. Onuorah should approach the law court and not turn the Nigerian Police into a Gestapo outfit that bullies a man in the presence of his wife and children.
4. That any second Mr. Onuorah spends in police custody constitutes a serious infringement against his fundamental rights and a continuation of the assault on freedom of expression that has become frequent occurrence in Nigeria recently.

Signed:
Management, Globalupfront Newspapers (Online)
23/5/2024.

CC:
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),
Media Houses.
Guild of Editors.