The Abduction of FirstNews Editor

The recent abduction of FirstNews Editor, Segun Olatunji, during a commando-styled raid of his home in Lagos, and his 13-day detention in Abuja by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency, pose a significant threat to press freedom in Nigeria and undermine democracy, Wale Igbintade writes

Is Nigeria back to the dark days when journalists were arrested, tortured and detained? This was the question that readily came to the minds of Nigerians when on March 15, in Gestapo style, the Editor of FirstNews, Segun Olatunji, was abducted by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), an agency that reports to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye.

For the 12 days out of the 13 days that Olatunji was detained, nobody, including his family and employers, knew his whereabouts.

Olatunji, a former employee of The Punch Newspapers, was arrested in his Iyana-Odo, Abule-Egba home in Lagos State and flown to Abuja for performing his constitutional duties in a democratic era, not under military rule. He was released on March 28 on the grounds that he would be available whenever needed by the military authorities and after much protest from journalists, human rights organisations and lawyers.

Narrating the ugly incident, Mr. Olatunji’s wife, who witnessed the abduction of her husband, said the armed men stormed their residence a few minutes after 6 pm, that day. On their arrival, she recounted, the abductors immediately confiscated her husband’s telephone before shoving him into a van. Her inquiry about her husband’s offence fetched no answer but rebuffs from the stern-looking men.

The Publisher of FirstNews, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, as well as Olatunji’s colleagues and family members, tried in vain to locate him. But those who abducted him ensured he was incommunicado. They also ensured that no one knew his whereabouts, a development that further traumatised his family, employers and colleagues.

While the confusion over his whereabouts continued, the military authorities were said to have denied having him in their custody, despite the intervention of senior officials of the federal government. This raised serious concerns over his safety. It took the International Press Institute (IPI) to provide a ray of hope when it revealed that the editor was in the custody of the DIA.

While a few analysts raised concerns about the possibility of criminals replicating such actions, leaving Nigerians in doubt about the involvement of military authorities, others wondered what would be the fate of the average Nigerian if found in a similar situation given the way the editor was treated despite having a voice and institutions backing him.

Under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and other international instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory, it is forbidden for any citizen or resident to be detained beyond 48 hours, except with a valid court order. Therefore the arrest of Olatunji was seen as a direct attack on press freedom by analysts.

Analysts also posited that the incident is a throwback to the era of military dictatorship when operatives brutalised, hounded and jailed journalists for spurious offences. For instance, the military government under Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and the late Sani Abacha, detained journalists and summarily shut media houses for performing their duties.

The World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders ranked Nigeria No. 123, scoring a pitiful 49.56 out of the 180 countries ranked on press freedom. South Africa was ranked 25th, and Namibia was ranked 22nd. In 2022, Nigeria was ranked number 129.

This is why many feel that the action of the DIA should not be condoned under the current democratic space. For them, it is clear that some officers in the military are still finding it difficult to subject themselves to civil authority 24 years after the country returned to representative governance.

Those who spoke with THISDAY on condition of anonymity, described the incarceration of Olatunji for performing his constitutional duties as illegal and highly unacceptable in a democracy and urged the federal government to ensure that all the officers involved are dealt with and the journalists and his family duly compensated.

They also have called on President Bola Tinubu not to condone the vicious, uncivilised, unlawful and criminal action of the DIA, which they described as unacceptable.

Many believe that if officers of strategic agency like DIA could hack a journalist’s telephone, traumatise his wife, abduct him, detain him secretly for 12 days and disobey senior officials of the federal government, then the country’s democracy is not safe.

Free press serves as a watchdog on power. The press 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, Nigeria’s democracy is endangered. A free press is also critical in exposing abuse of power and corruption.

While the media is not above the law, in a democracy, the only way to determine wrong or right is through the legal process.

This is why speaking at a joint press conference organised by the IPI, NGE and NUJ in Abuja, the secretary of the NGE, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, on behalf of the groups, condemned the detention of Olatunji, describing it as “an attack on press freedom.” The groups also called on President Tinubu to ensure that the military officers involved in Olatunji’s arrest are punished for bad behaviour.

“Although our colleague has now been released, we are calling on President Tinubu to ensure that these officers are punished for their bad behaviour. 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.

“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.

“If officers in a military institution like DIA could hack a journalist’s telephone, mishandle his wife, abduct him, detain him secretly for 12 days and disobey senior officials of the federal government, then our democracy cannot be said to be safe,” Uwugiaren added.

Going forward, the federal government should ensure it upholds the tenets of democracy and press freedom in all ramifications. If a journalist has breached the laws of the country, there are democratic tools that could be deployed through the right judicial processes. It should also ensure that the military is not allowed to overreach its powers into civilian matters.