IPI Nigeria Demands Release of Journalist Stanley Ugagbe

IPI Nigeria has condemned the alleged abduction and continued detention of journalist Stanley Ugagbe, calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to disclose his whereabouts or release him without delay. A statement issued on Saturday expressed deep concern over Ugagbe's situation, noting that he was reportedly taken into custody shortly after publishing an investigative report.

The organization indicated that Ugagbe was abducted by four unidentified men in Abuja on Wednesday. Fejiro Oliv, the editor-in-chief of the platform where Ugagbe worked, claimed that police forces conducted the operation.

Efforts by Ugagbe's legal team to locate him have been unsuccessful, with searches at various police facilities yielding no results. IPI Nigeria emphasized that Ugagbe's detention violates his constitutional rights and warned against the criminalization of journalistic work.

The organization has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure Ugagbe's immediate access to legal representation and to uphold the rule of law in Nigeria.