NGE asks Tinubu to direct release of ‘abducted’ editor

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to order the release of Segun Olatunji, the editor of FirstNews.

Iyobosa Uwagiaren, NGE general secretary, made the appeal on Wednesday while featuring on the breakfast programme of the African Independent Television (AIT).

Uwagiaren said Olatunji should either be released or charged to court if he has done anything against the law.

He warned that the NGE will not tolerate any attempt by institutions of government to intimidate or harass its members who are legitimately doing their job.

He said the abduction of Olatunji has punctured the healthy relationship the media has had with Tinubu’s administration since inception.

The NGE general secretary added that efforts by the group to confirm the whereabouts of Olatunji from the military have not been successful.

“From the account of the organisation (FirstNews), the military went to his house in Lagos and took him away because of a story that they published,” Uwagiaren said.

“Since then, we have been trying to get in touch with the military authority to find out if he is actually with them. We have made frantic efforts to reach out to the military authority, but they are yet to respond.

“If truly he is with them, there is no need to keep him in detention for almost a week now. They should either release or charge him to court if he has committed any crime.

“So, I am using this opportunity to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to order his release. He should have the opportunity to defend himself in a court of law if he truly has committed any crime.

“We have enjoyed a good relationship with this government since it came on board, but to start with this, we won’t tolerate it.”

On his part, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, FirstNews publisher, who said the organisation looks forward to the return of its editor, thanked the NGE and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for demanding Olatunji’s release.

“We are indeed grateful for intervention by the Guild of Editors and the NUJ, including the support and solidarity of numerous media houses, friends and professional colleagues in their efforts to ensure the release of Segun Olatunji,” Iworiso-Markson said.

“Their support has been overwhelming and encouraging, but we are not there yet. We want to urge them not to relent in their support until Segun Olatunji is released and returned safely back to his family.”

On March 15, Olatunji was reportedly abducted from his home in Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos, by gunmen.

While the journalist’s family is yet to receive any form of communication from his abductors, the management of the media platform has linked the incident to a recent story published by FirstNews.