Increasing Attacks on Journalists Threaten Democracy

The recent abduction and five-day disappearance of journalist Stanley Ugagbe has intensified concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists in Nigeria. Ugagbe, who works for the online news platform Secret Reporters, was taken from his residence in Abuja by unidentified armed men on July 1, 2026. His release was secured last Monday following intervention by the Nigeria Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria).

Neighbors reported seeing four men in plain clothes arrive in an unmarked SUV before abducting Ugagbe. Initially, Secret Reporters suspected the Department of State Services (DSS), but the agency denied holding the journalist. The focus then shifted to the Nigeria Police Force, specifically officers attached to the Police Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU) in Guzape, Abuja, who were alleged to be involved. However, police efforts to verify these claims proved unsuccessful, and the Guzape police division denied arresting or detaining him.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has raised concerns that Ugagbe's abduction may be connected to a recent investigation published by Secret Reporters on June 16. The report detailed allegations of corruption and infidelity involving a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Emem Nnana Usoro, who allegedly concealed ownership of a luxury property in the United States. Although the published report did not name a journalist, Ugagbe is believed to have been the lead reporter.

Following the publication, Ugagbe reportedly received a call from an individual named "Ibrahim," who denied the allegations and urged him not to publish the story. Tega Oghenedoro, publisher of Secret Reporters, stated that police sources indicated Ugagbe had been taken to a former Special Anti-Robbery Squad facility in Abuja's Guzape district. Searches at that location and several police stations have yielded no results, leaving the circumstances and perpetrators of the abduction unclear.

“

The frequent arrests of journalists while carrying out their professional duties and exercising their constitutional rights pose a serious threat to press freedom in Nigeria and undermines democracy.