-IPI, NGE, NUJ vow to take action against military

-describes act as direct attack on press freedom

Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews Online Newspaper, has bravely shared his harrowing experience while in captivity after being abducted by gunmen in military uniform.

The terrifying incident unfolded on March 15 when armed assailants stormed Olatunji’s residence in the Iyana Odo area of Abule Egba, Lagos State, and forcibly abducted him.

Recounting his ordeal during a press briefing organized by the leaderships of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and International Press Institute (IPI) shortly after his release, Olatunji revealed shocking details of his captivity.

“At first, they put me in a cell. There I was left with leg and hand cuffs. And at a point, one of the officers came and tightened the right leg and the right hand, and I was there growing in pain,” Olatunji shared, describing the agonizing moments he endured.

 “They didn’t loosen it until about two or three days after. And at that time, the whole part of my body was getting node. In fact, up till now, I can still feel the pains,” he said.

Throughout his detention, Olatunji said he  was subjected to interrogation, with his captors questioning him about certain stories published by FirstNews. 

"While in detention, they were asking me questions about certain stories that FirstNews had carried,” he revealed. “They first told me that I was one of those abusing the chief of defence intelligence. Then they also asked about a story we carried about the Chief of Staff to the president, and that was a major thing.”

Expressing his belief that those responsible for his abduction are closely linked to the corridors of power, Olatunji asserted: “Those behind my arrest are people behind the corridors of power, who are not happy with what FirstNews is doing, and are bent on taking their own pound of flesh. "

The journalist explained that his investigations revealed that his abductors have been monitoring him for weeks, which was unknown to him, adding that he was even trailed to a conference organized by Senator Solomon Olamilekan held at Ayetoro town of Ogun State.

He said further that he later uncovered that the security agents were monitoring his movement in consent with some people close to him, who provided them information about his itinerary within the period he was arrested.

Olatunji added that the security agents from his own investigations showed that they had lodged in an hotel close to his wife’s shop, and subsequently located his residence where he was picked up and blindfolded, thereafter taken to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 

He narrated how two unmarked vans arrived at his home in Lagos on March 15, 2024, while the men, two of whom wore military-style uniforms, introduced themselves as officers of the Nigerian Army and forced him to go with them, and declined to tell his wife, who witnessed the abduction, where he was being taken to.

Meanwhile, the International Press Institute, IPI; Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists have vowed to take action against the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, over the abduction of FirstNews Editor, Mr. Segun Olatunji.

The journalism bodies made the vow on Thursday during a press conference over the abduction of Olatunji who was released earlier in the day.

Olatunji was released by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency following the pressure mounted by the media sector.

The press conference was addressed by the President of IPI, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed; General Secretary of the NGE, Iyobosa Uwugiaren and the President, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo.

“This is not the end of this matter. The Nigerian media community shall consult further in the next few days on the actions to take against the CDS, the CDI, and the military regarding this matter,” the journalists assured.

The journalists said it was appalling that despite enquiries by the different organisations to find out which of the security organs abducted Olatunji, they continued to lie that he was not in their custody.

The journalists expressed worry over the intention of Olatunji’s abductors.

They described the development as a direct attack on press freedom, declaring that it was unacceptable.

They called on President Bola Tinubu to punish the military officers for the ignoble act, saying their action was a threat to the nation’s democracy.

The statement reads in part:

“The DIA’s action makes us wonder about its real intention. Our suspicion is that they planned to secretly eliminate Mr Olatunji so that members of the public could attribute his disappearance to unknown gunmen. But we are glad they failed.

“For us, this vicious, uncivilized, unlawful and criminal action of the DIA is unacceptable. The action is alien to Nigeria’s democratic space. It is now clear that there are some officers in our military who are still finding it difficult to subject themselves to civil authority 24 years after our country returned to representative governance.

“We do not think this kind of attitude should be condoned by President Bola Tinubu, particularly, and Nigerians, in general. If officers in a military institution like DIA could hack a journalist’s telephone, mishandle his wife, abduct him, detain him secretly for 12 days and disobey senior officials of the federal government, then our democracy cannot be said to be safe.

“Although our colleague has now been released, we are calling on President Tinubu to ensure that these officers are punished for their bad behaviour. By all standards, the actions of the DIA, General Musa and Major General Undiandeye are against the provisions of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and other international instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory – which forbid the detention of any citizen or resident beyond 48 hours, except with a valid court order.

“More so, the DIA’s action is a direct attack on press freedom. One of the core missions of the free press is to serve as a watchdog on power. The press, as we all know, is the connection between the people and the government. If the press is not allowed to carry out its social and constitutional responsibilities but instead obligated to power, it simply serves as an extension of power. Without freedom of the press, our democracy is endangered. In the case of corruption, a free press is critical to exposing abuses of power. For sure, the media is not above the law, but in a democracy, the only way to determine wrong or right is through the legal process.”