On Wednesday evening, Madu Onuorah, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Global Upfront, was forcibly taken from his home in Lugbe, Abuja, by Nigerian police officers. The abduction occurred around 6 p.m. in the presence of his wife and children.
According to Global Upfront’s management, approximately 10 armed policemen arrived in two Sienna buses, took Onuorah without presenting an arrest warrant, and left him incommunicado. “Anybody who has any issue against Mr. Onuorah should approach the law court and not turn the Nigeria Police into a Gestapo outfit that bullies a man in the presence of his wife and children,” stated the management in a press release.
The newspaper has demanded Onuorah’s immediate and unconditional release, arguing that his detention constitutes a serious infringement on his fundamental rights and an ongoing assault on freedom of expression in Nigeria. The statement also revealed that the officers were not from the local Lugbe Police Station and left no means for his family to contact them.
Madu Onuorah, a seasoned journalist, previously served as Abuja Bureau Chief for The Guardian Newspaper and Managing Director of The Authority Newspaper.
This incident is part of a worrying trend of journalist abductions in Nigeria. On March 15, 2024, Segun Olatunji, General Editor of First News, was taken from his Lagos home by 10 armed men. His wife reported the men provided no information about his whereabouts. Olatunji was later linked to the Defence Intelligence Agency and resigned after his release, following pressure from a controversial article about Femi Gbajabiamila.
Similarly, on May 1, 2024, Daniel Ojukwu from the Foundation for Investigative Journalism was abducted by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police. Accused of violating the Cybercrime Act, he was detained for nine days before being released after public protests.