Publisher of Secrets Reporters, Fejiro Oliver, has alleged that one of the platform’s reporters, Stanley Ugagbe, was abducted by armed men following the publication of reports concerning the Deputy Governor (Operations) of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Emem Nnanna Etuk Usoro.
According to Oliver, Ugagbe, who also serves as Operations Manager of the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking, was allegedly taken on Tuesday while returning from a professional training programme sponsored by his organisation.
Oliver claimed the armed men later accompanied the reporter to his residence, where they allegedly seized his official phone and laptop.
He further alleged that the operation was carried out on the orders of Emem Usoro over reports published by Secrets Reporters relating to allegations about her personal life and property ownership. Those allegations remain unverified, and there is no public indication that Usoro has responded to them.
Oliver said he contacted the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, to determine whether the agency was responsible for the operation.
According to Oliver, the DSS Director-General immediately directed senior officers to verify the claim. He alleged that after internal checks, the DSS informed him that Ugagbe was not in its custody. He also claimed that the Director of the DSS Federal Capital Territory Command subsequently confirmed that the command had no record of the journalist’s arrest.
Oliver further alleged that investigations by his team suggested the men involved may have been police operatives, citing the vehicle they reportedly used and other observations. He claimed attempts to obtain clarification from senior officials of the Nigeria Police Force had not yielded satisfactory answers.
He also alleged that searches of several police facilities in Abuja failed to locate the missing journalist.
Calling for Ugagbe’s immediate release, Oliver urged the authorities to either release him unconditionally or formally charge him before a competent court if any offence had been committed.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the Central Bank of Nigeria had publicly responded to the allegations, and IBN News has not independently verified the claims made by Oliver.
IBN News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.
