In the wake of Editor Madu Onuorah’s arrest, fellow Journalist Abiodun Sanusi has condemned the incident, criticizing what he sees as a deteriorating state of press freedom in Nigeria.
Sanusi directly challenges President Bola Tinubu to take action and defend the rights of journalists, emphasizing the importance of a free and independent media in a democratic society.
During a discussion with PurpleWorld Correspondence, journalist Abiodun Sanusi emphasized the need to uphold the constitutionally guaranteed right to press freedom in Nigeria. However, he challenged President Bola Tinubu to take action and hold the police accountable for any violations of press freedoms.
“The arrest of Editor Onuorah is an attack on press freedom. It has become obvious in recent times that the Nigeria Police Force is targeting journalists and media houses.
“The president must call the IGP to order, and mandate the police to halt its clampdown on journalists.
“The freedom of the press is a right enshrined in the Nigerian constitution, and the police must respect it.”, he said.
Madu Onuorah was reportedly arrested by the Nigeria Police Force at his Abuja residence on Wednesday evening, according to multiple sources. Onuorah, who serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Globalupfront Newspaper, was taken into custody around 6pm in the presence of his family.
The circumstances surrounding Onuorah’s arrest remain unclear, and the incident has drawn concern from press freedom advocates who fear it may be part of a larger pattern of intimidation and harassment directed at Nigerian journalists.
Onuorah’s arrest marks another high-profile incident involving a Nigerian journalist in recent months. In March, Segun Olatunji, the Editor of FirstNews, was reportedly abducted by officers of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), with his whereabouts remaining unknown for several days.
In another recent incident involving the Nigerian media, investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) was arrested by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police on May 1st. Ojukwu spent nine days in solitary confinement at the Force headquarters before being released.
Madu Onuorah, a seasoned journalist with a distinguished career as the former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper and former Managing Director of The AUTHORITY Newspaper, was reportedly arrested by a group of approximately 10 policemen on Wednesday. According to witnesses, the officers arrived at Onuorah’s residence in Lugbe, Abuja, in two Sienna mini-buses and took him into custody.
He was not allowed to contact his lawyer or any of his relations before he was whisked away to the Lugbe police station by the operatives.
