Enugu State Police Command says the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Globalupfront Newspaper (Online), Mr. Madu Onuorah, is in its custody.
Onuorah was reported to have been whisked away by men of the Nigerian Police Force at about 6 p.m, on Wednesday, in the presence of his children and wife in his residence in Lugbe, Abuja.
Onuorah, who was the former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper and ex-Managing-Director of The AUTHORITY Newspaper, was reportedly taken away without any trace by about 10 armed policemen who stormed his residence in two Sienna buses.
However, in a statement on Thursday night, the Enugu Police Command announced that the editor was in its custody, while noting that he was not kidnapped.
Command’s spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, who signed the statement on behalf of the State commissioner, Kanayo Uzuegbu, said that Onuorah was arrested over allegation of defamatory publication against a United States-based Catholic Reverend Sister.
He said: “The Enugu State Police Command is in receipt of several publications alleging the abduction of an Abuja-based online news publisher, one Madu Onuorah “m”.
“The Command wishes to state that contrary to the allegations, he was duly arrested in Abuja with the assistance of Police operatives from Ebonyi State Command and the aid of intelligence, after efforts made to formally invite him failed.
“Furthermore, his arrest was following the receipt of a written petition to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, against him over an alleged defamatory publication he made against a US-based Reverend Sister.”
Ndukwe, however, quoted the State Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, to have ordered the office handling the case to professionally investigate and ensure that justice prevails.
He reportedly called on the press family, particularly the leadership and members of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and associates of the suspect, to exercise patience, assuring that justice will be done in the case.
