Ex-NUJ President Demands Release of Detained Journalist Stanley Ugagbe

ABUJA — The continued detention of Secret Reporters journalist Stanley Ugagbe has sparked widespread condemnation, with former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the African Union of Journalists (AUJ), Lanre Ogundipe, leading calls for his immediate release.

​Ugagbe, who was reported missing on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, after being whisked away by armed men from his Jikwoyi, Abuja residence, has since been located at the Nigeria Police Force’s National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC). His abduction followed the publication of an investigative report by Secret Reporters regarding allegations involving an official at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

​Prior to his discovery, the police had repeatedly denied holding the journalist, a move that drew severe criticism from the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Reports indicate that Ugagbe was held incommunicado, blindfolded, and denied access to legal counsel for days.

​In a statement issued this Sunday, Ogundipe described the treatment of Ugagbe as a disturbing trend that threatens the foundations of Nigeria’s democracy.

​”The dignity of the law is diminished when journalists are treated as fugitives,” Ogundipe asserted. “Journalists are neither extensions of the government nor adversaries of the state. They are constitutional actors performing the vital role of holding power to account.”

​The veteran journalist argued that if there are genuine legal allegations against a media practitioner, the state must adhere to established constitutional procedures—such as a formal invitation or arraignment—rather than resorting to secret arrests and intimidation.

​”Democracy should be judged not by how it treats those in power, but by how it safeguards the rights of those whose job it is to scrutinize that power,” he added.

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​Ogundipe warned that the current climate of fear, reminiscent of past eras of media repression, serves only to erode public trust in democratic institutions. He urged the federal government and security agencies to prioritize the rule of law by either charging Ugagbe before a court of competent jurisdiction or releasing him unconditionally.

​As the advocacy for his release intensifies, the case of Stanley Ugagbe has become a focal point in the broader struggle against the criminalization of investigative journalism in Nigeria, with stakeholders calling on the authorities to respect press freedom as a non-negotiable cornerstone of national development.