The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) on Monday condemned the abduction of Nigerian journalist Stanley Ugabe by the Nigerian police and demanded his immediate release.
On 3 July, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Ugabe, a journalist with the online news platform Secrets Reporters, was abducted from his residence in the Jikwoyi area of Abuja. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) linked the disappearance to a recent investigation published by his organisation.
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CJID’s press statement, released by Deputy Director, Journalism Programme, Busola Ajibola, confirmed that the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) detained Mr Ugagbe “for six days without any formal or public communication from the police.”
The statement also noted that the NPF-NCCC issued a formal letter of invitation to the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Secret Reporters, Tega Oghenedoro, today (Monday).
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In the letter, the police claimed they were investigating a case of “Espionage, Cyberstalking and Computer-related offences” involving him, the CJID said.
The police also directed Mr Oghenedoro to report to the NPF-NCCC for an interview on 8 July (Wednesday) at 10:00 a.m.
“CJID finds the approach of the Nigerian Police in this incident quite disturbing. At a time when Nigeria is grappling with a rise in insecurity, rampant banditry, and kidnappings for ransom, it is condemnable that state security agents, especially the police, are adopting abduction tactics similar to those of criminal syndicates.
“Operating in plainclothes, using unmarked vehicles, blindfolding citizens, and holding them incommunicado erodes public trust and makes it practically impossible for law-abiding citizens to distinguish between lawful arrests and ruthless criminal abductions.
“This rather disturbing abduction, coupled with the invitation of Mr Oghenedoro over an unclear investigation of an ‘espionage,’ using the controversial Cybercrime Act, is a deeply troubling continuation of the severe clampdown on the media witnessed under the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun,” the statement read.
In light of this, the CJID called on the IGP demanding the following: the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Ugabe, the withdrawal of summons against Mr Oghenedoro, and the stopping of the weaponisation of the NPF-NCCC and the Cybercrime Act against journalists.
It also demanded a probe into the officers who carried out the abduction for violating police operational guidelines and the fundamental human rights of the journalist.
This recent event represents another major setback for media independence in Nigeria. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Nigeria ranked 112th in the World Press Freedom Index, with a global score of 46.81.
Also, the police have weaponised the Cybercrime Act to harass journalists. For instance, the Nigerian police charged Mr Oliver with cyberstalking for calling Delta State Governor Sherif Oborevwori and a senator’s names on social media.
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As part of its solution to fight against press attacks, the CJID officially launched the Press Attack Tracker (PAT West Africa). The CJID documented a series of press attacks in its tracker under Mr Egbetokun’s administration, including over 45 journalists who have been attacked and unlawfully detained.
Also, in April, the IGP, Mr Disu, expressed commitment to putting an end to impunity, especially by police officers, in Nigeria. A month later, the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Ahmed Sanusi, also pledged the police’s commitment to upholding human rights.
Yet, “the commando-style abduction of Mr Ugabe makes a mockery of this pledge,” the CJID lamented.
The organisation encouraged the force to report to the Ombudsman “Where there are allegations that a journalist or newsroom has derailed from journalistic principles,” and called on Mr Disu “to immediately walk the talk.”
