Journalist kidnapped in Abuja, CPJ links case to investigative report

A journalist with the online news platform Secrets Reporters, Stanley Ugagbe, has been kidnapped from his home in the Jikwoyi area of Abuja. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) believes his disappearance is connected to a recent investigation by his organization.

Mr Ugagbe was taken on Wednesday around 6:30 p.m. by armed men, according to a report from Press Attack Tracker, an initiative of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).

The report quoted Secrets Reporters publisher, Tega Oghenedoro, also known as Fejiro Oliver. He said that neighbors saw four men in plain clothes arrive in an unmarked Mitsubishi Pajero SUV before taking the journalist away.

One of the men had an assault rifle, while another was wearing shorts. Initially, the organization suspected the State Security Service (SSS) was involved. However, after reaching out to the agency, they learned that Mr Ugagbe was neither in their custody nor arrested by their operatives.

The search then turned to the Nigeria Police Force. A confidential source claimed that officers from the Police Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU) in Guzape, Abuja, were involved in the abduction. But attempts to confirm this claim were unsuccessful.

Lawyers for Secrets Reporters visited the Guzape police division on Thursday. They wanted to find out if the journalist was being held there and to seek his release.

The police division denied arresting or detaining Mr Ugagbe. Conflicting accounts and the inability to verify the confidential source's information have left Mr Ugagbe's colleagues and family unsure about his whereabouts.

As of the time the report was published, no one knew where Mr Ugagbe was.

CPJ connects disappearance to Secrets Reporters investigation

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) raised concerns on Friday. They think Stanley Ugagbe’s disappearance could be linked to a recent investigation by Secrets Reporters. This investigation looked into allegations of corruption and infidelity involving a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The investigation mentioned by CPJ was published on June 16 by Secrets Reporters. It was titled "CBN Deputy Governor Emem Nnana Usoro Hides N1.4 Billion California Luxury Condo in Asset Declaration Scandal (Part 1)."

It claims that a senior CBN official, Emem Nnana Usoro, hid ownership of a luxury property in the United States. However, no journalist's name was included as a byline in the report.

In a statement on Friday, CPJ quoted Secrets Reporters publisher, Mr Oghenedoro, and senior reporter, Paul Utebor. They said neighbors saw Mr Ugagbe enter his apartment in Jikwoyi on Wednesday before two armed men followed him inside.

The men left with the journalist, taking his laptop and mobile phones. As he was being taken away, Mr Ugagbe reportedly shouted, "Call my office."

CPJ noted that Messrs Oghenedoro and Utebor believed the disappearance was tied to the publication’s recent investigation. They identified Mr Ugagbe as the lead reporter on that story.

The organization also mentioned that Mr Ugagbe received a call from a man named "Ibrahim" after he reached out to the CBN executive for comment before the report was published. The caller denied the allegations and urged the journalist not to publish the report.

CPJ also quoted Mr Oghenedoro as saying police sources informed them that Mr Ugagbe was taken to the old Special Anti-Robbery Squad facility in Guzape. However, checks at that location, police stations in Jikwoyi, and the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters did not confirm his whereabouts.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, revealed that police were looking into the disappearance. But they found no records showing that Mr Ugagbe was in police custody.

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CPJ noted that calls and messages to the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, Anietie Okokon, went unanswered. They also tried to reach the Director General of the State Security Service, Oluwatosin Ajayi, and the CBN executive mentioned in the Secrets Reporters article but received no responses.

CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal called on Nigerian authorities to reveal Mr Ugagbe’s whereabouts. She urged them to ensure he can see his family and lawyer if he is in custody or to release him if there is no legal reason for his detention.