The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the arrest and continued detention of Stanley Ugagbe, a reporter with an online news platform, SecretReporters, by yet-to-be-ascertained security operatives.

It decried the development, saying it is particularly concerning given the circumstances surrounding his arrest without official reasons for his detention or explanation about his whereabouts.

Also, a former President of the NUJ, Lanre Ogundipe, has condemned Ugagbe’s arrest and continued detention, warning that the growing trend of treating journalists as fugitives rather than professionals undermines the rule of law and weakens Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday, Ogundipe said the journalist’s continued detention raises concerns that extend beyond the liberty of one journalist to the broader issue of press freedom and the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the media.

He argued that journalists carrying out their constitutional responsibility of informing the public should not be subjected to arbitrary arrests, intimidation, or prolonged detention simply because their reports may be uncomfortable to those in authority.

In a statement by the Secretary of NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, the body condemned the incident, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Ugagbe’s residence in Jikwoyi Phase II, Abuja.

According to the chapter, four armed men dressed in mufti allegedly arrived at his residence and whisked him away to an unknown destination shortly after he returned from work that evening. It added that one of the men reportedly dressed in a T-shirt and trousers, while another was carrying an assault rifle.

It was further gathered that Ugagbe’s mobile phone and laptop were confiscated before he was whisked away in an unmarked black Mitsubishi Pajero SUV with tinted windows. The council said the NUJ leadership has since reached out to various security agencies to ascertain his whereabouts, but that the agencies contacted have denied any knowledge of his whereabouts.

It therefore called on the relevant security agencies to immediately disclose the identity of the operatives involved, state the reasons for Ugagbe’s arrest, grant him immediate access to his family and legal representatives, and either charge him before a competent court, if there is any lawful basis, or release him without further delay.