Another editor arrested in Abuja, Nigeria

..picked in front of wife and kids

…He did not show any arrest warrants or disclose his criminal history.

It was reported that the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Global Upfront Newspaper (Online), Mr. Madu Onuora, was taken away at 6pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 by men believed to be in Nigerian Police uniform.

A press statement from the management of Global Upfront Online Newspaper reads as follows: “About 10 fully armed policemen in two Siena buses raided his residence in Lugbe, Abuja.

“He was arrested in the presence of his wife and children, who vainly questioned the police as to why they were arresting the head of the family.
Police confiscated Onuora’s mobile phone and cut off all contact with him, including his family.

“He was not even allowed to contact his lawyer or his associates until he was taken to Lugbe police station by stern-looking operatives.

“In order to avoid Mr. Onuora attracting attention or being released on bail, the police officers who arrested him, although not at Rugbe police station, simply dumped him at the station and left no trace for his friends and family to contact him. .
The management of Global Upfront Newspapers said:
1. The police should immediately and unconditionally release Madu Onuora.
2. That Mr Onuora is an experienced journalist, former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper and former Managing Director of Authority Newspaper, and operates within the bounds of the law.
3. Anyone who has any issues with Mr Onuora should take it to court and not turn the Nigerian Police into a Gestapo that bullies men in front of their wives and children.
4. Mr. Onuora’s continued presence in police custody for even a moment would be a gross violation of his fundamental rights and a continuation of the attacks on freedom of expression that have become so frequent in Nigeria in recent times.”

Signed:
Management, Global Upfront Newspaper (online)
May 23, 2024.

CC:
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)
Nigerian Guild of Editors;
Media House.