Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has called for immediate release of Stanley Ugagbe, a reporter with SecretReporters, an online news platform who was whisked away by yet-to-be-identified security operatives.
According to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT leadership of the Union, its attention was drawn to the incident, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Ugagbe’s residence in Jikwoyi Phase II, Abuja.
The union views this development with grave concern, particularly as the circumstances surrounding his arrest remain unclear
and no official explanation has been provided regarding his whereabouts, the allegations against him, or the legal basis for his detention.
NUJ also gathered that Ugagbe’s mobile phone and laptop were confiscated before he was taken away in an unmarked black Mitsubishi Pajero SUV with tinted windows.
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The leadership of the union has since reached out to various security agencies to ascertain Ugagbe’s whereabouts and whether he is in their custody, but they all denied holding him or having any knowledge of his whereabouts.
The Union is therefore calling on the relevant security agencies to immediately disclose the identity of the operatives involved, state the reasons for Ugagbe’s arrest, grant him immediate access to his family and legal representatives, and either charge him before a court of competent jurisdiction if there is any lawful basis for doing so, or release him without further delay.
The union also says it will continue to monitor the situation closely and support all efforts aimed at safeguarding press freedom in Nigeria until Ugagbe is released.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
