• HURIWA, I-CSP seek immediate release, fault Tinubu’s inaction

The police on Wednesday, May 22, again abducted the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Globalupfront Newspaper (Online), Mr Madu Onuorah, barely a week after another abducted editor was released.

Onuorah was whisked away by men of the Nigeria Police Force at about 6:00 p.m., when 10 fully-armed officers stormed his residence in Lugbe, Abuja, in two Sienna buses.

The Guardian learnt that he was arrested in the presence of his wife and children who unsuccessfully demanded why they had come for the head of the family.

Onuorah’s phones were seized during the operation, completely cutting him off from communication. He was not even allowed to contact his lawyer or any of his relations before the operatives whisked him away to the Lugbe police station.

To ensure that Onuorah did not get attention or bail, the officers who arrested him, though not of Lugbe police station, simply dumped him there, leaving no trail by which friends and family could reach him.

The management of Globalupfront Newspaper, in a statement, yesterday, insisted that the police release Onuorah immediately and unconditionally.

The firm said Onuorah is an experienced journalist; a former Abuja bureau chief of The Guardian, former managing director of The Authority, and operates within the ambit of the law.

According to the news medium, anybody who has any issue against Onuorah should approach the law court, and not turn the police into a Gestapo outfit that bullies a man in the presence of his wife and children.

It said any second Onuorah spends in custody constitutes a serious infringement on his fundamental rights and a continuation of the assault on freedom of expression, which has become frequent in Nigeria.

Confirming the arrest, spokesperson for Ebony State Police Command, DSP Joshua Ukandu, said: “Our men assisted in arresting him based on a petition from the Enugu command. I don’t know the details of the petition, but they are taking him to Enugu now. I am sure Enugu command would be able to give you details on why he was arrested.”

All efforts to reach the spokesperson for Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, proved abortive as his phone rang out several times.

Also, Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Benneth Igweh, hinted that Onuorah was arrested by the Ebonyi State Police Command following investigations.

He said: “Journalists are our partners in fighting crime. They are not immune to arrest. He was arrested by the Ebonyi State Police Command.”

Meanwhile, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the abduction.

In a statement by National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the association expressed concern over what it called blatant violation of human rights and freedom of the press.

It called for the immediate and unconditional release of Onuorah, saying: “This alleged incident is part of a disturbing pattern of police brutality and suppression of free speech that has been on the rise in Nigeria.

It also criticised President Bola Tinubu for allegedly failing to uphold the rule of law, saying the administration’s silence on such matters raises serious questions about its commitment to democratic principles and human rights.
Also,  IPC’s Centre for the Safety and Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ) has called for the release of Onuorah.