By Joke Kujenya
ON WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2024, Nigerian journalism faced another troubling incident as Mr. Madu Onuorah, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Globalupfront Newspaper (Online), was apprehended by officers of the Nigerian Police Force.
At approximately 6 PM, around ten heavily armed policemen arrived at his residence in Lugbe, Abuja, using two Sienna buses to carry out the operation.
According to a statement released on May 23, 2024, by the online newspaper management, copying the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and other media outlets, Mr. Onuorah was detained in front of his wife and children.
Despite their demands for an explanation, the police provided no reason for his arrest.
The arresting officers confiscated Mr. Onuorah’s phones, severing his communication with his family and legal representatives.
He was not permitted to contact his lawyer or any relatives before being taken to the Lugbe police station.
The policemen, whose affiliations were not with the local station, left Mr. Onuorah there without any further contact information, making it difficult for friends and family to locate him or seek his release.
In their statement, the newspaper’s management is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Onuorah.
They highlighted his extensive journalism career, noting his previous roles as Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper and Managing Director of The AUTHORITY Newspaper, emphasizing that Mr. Onuorah has always operated within the bounds of the law.
The Management also criticized the police action, comparing it to Gestapo tactics, and condemned the arrest in front of his family as a violation of his fundamental rights.
They called for anyone with grievances against Mr. Onuorah to pursue legal channels rather than using the police to intimidate him.
They stressed that every moment he spends in custody represents a significant breach of his rights and an ongoing assault on freedom of expression in Nigeria.
