More details have emerged on the abduction of Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews Online Newspaper.
Gunmen in military uniform had invaded Olatunji’s residence at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos state, on March 15, and abducted him.
Olatunji was released on Thursday in Abuja after intense media pressure.
Speaking after his release, Olatunji said those behind his ordeal are close to the government.
He spoke during a press briefing organised by the leaderships of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and International Press Institute (IPI).
Musikilu Mojeed, President, IPI Nigeria; Chris Isiguzo, President, (NUJ), and Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Secretary of NGE, attended the briefing.
Uwugiaren said they learnt there was a plot to secretly eliminate Olatunji.
Uwugiaren said for days, the leaderships of the IPI, the NGE and the NUJ frantically searched for Olatunji.
He said: “We interacted with the presidency, the Nigeria Police Force (Lagos and Abuja), the Nigerian Army, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Interior, the Defence Headquarters, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, and the State Security Services (SSS). Other security agencies were also contacted.
“But all the efforts failed until last night. The military claimed the journalist was not in their custody. They lied to us and top government officials whose interventions we sought… 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.
“However, on Monday, IPI Nigeria was able to determine (without doubt) that the journalist was being detained and tortured by the Defence Intelligence Agency in Abuja. The IPI then informed the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, of its finding and asked them to release our colleague immediately.
“We also provided that information to top government officials who also reached out to Generals Musa and Undiandeye. Again, they lied that the journalist was not in their custody. Yet our sources were telling us we needed to act fast to save our colleague from being killed.
“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.
“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.”
Those in corridors of power behind my ordeal – Olatunji
The Editor of FirstNews Newspaper, Mr. Segun Olatunji, has claimed that his recent abduction and detention are connected to his journalistic work, which displeased certain powerful individuals.
This revelation came following his release after a harrowing twelve-day confinement.
“I was at home with my son on Friday, March 15, watching ‘Journalists Hangout,’ when I noticed soldiers outside,” recounted Mr. Olatunji.
He described how his encounter with the military spiraled into a series of events that included being blindfolded, flown to Abuja, and detained without charges.
“An officer, who introduced himself as Colonel Lawal, approached me. I inquired about their reason for seeking me. He didn’t provide a clear answer, only stating they were from the military,” Mr. Olatunji continued.
He also stated that his phones were seized. After a blindfolded journey, he found himself handcuffed, both hands and feet, and stripped of his belongings in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
During his detention, Mr. Olatunji experienced physical discomfort due to excessively tight handcuffs, which led to numbness in his right hand and leg.
He disclosed that while in detention, interrogations focused on specific stories published by FirstNews, especially those criticizing the Chief of Defense Intelligence and the Chief of Staff to the President.
“The first story was an accusation against the Chief of Defense Intelligence. I informed them that it was a general story, and they did not say much about it.
“They also inquired about a story we published regarding the Chief of Staff to the President. This was the major issue. This is why I had mentioned to some people earlier that those responsible for my arrest were individuals in the corridors of power, suggesting that these stories were the reason for my detention.
“It was evident that certain individuals in positions of power were unhappy with the work being done by FirstNews,” he stated.
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