Plateau rights activist reportedly arrested by army

A human rights defender and conflict reporter from Plateau State, Lawrence Zongo, has reportedly been arrested. He was visiting a military hospital in Jos to see family members hurt in an attack in Bassa Local Government Area.

Mr Zongo was reportedly taken into custody on Monday at the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba Barracks. This place is the headquarters of the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division in Jos, according to sources who know about the situation.

The sources stated that Mr Zongo went to the facility after his relatives were attacked in Miango, Bassa LGA, on Sunday night.

One of his cousins was said to be among those injured and later died from the injuries he received in the attack, according to the sources.

The sources claimed that soldiers arrested Mr Zongo while he was at the hospital. They said he has been in custody without any formal charges.

They also claimed he has been denied access to his lawyers and family members.

As of Wednesday afternoon, these claims could not be independently verified.

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division, Victor Olukoya, to check on the reported arrest.

Mr Olukoya said he did not know about the situation and asked our reporter to call back later. He said he was not in a good position to talk at that moment.

Our reporter later sent him text messages, but he did not reply as of the time this report was written.

Mr Zongo has spent years documenting insecurity and alleged human rights abuses in Plateau State. He has worked as a conflict reporter and human rights advocate, including with TruthNigeria and as a volunteer with Amnesty International.

His reports have focused a lot on violence and its effects on communities in Plateau. This includes attacks in Bassa and other areas of the state.

A different report released on Wednesday also said that Mr Zongo was detained. This report identified him as a human rights defender and conflict documenter.

It also mentioned that Zongo was wearing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses when he visited the military hospital. It suggested that this might have played a part in his arrest.

But this claim could not be independently verified. No official statement connects the alleged arrest to the glasses.

The details surrounding the reported arrest are still not clear.

The Nigerian Army has not publicly confirmed the reported detention or explained any actions taken against Mr Zongo.