An online publication, OrderPaper, with special interest on Nigeria’s parliament has raised the an alarm over the arrest of one of its staff, Edna Ulaeto.
A statement by the Newspaper late Friday detailed how operatives of the Department of State Services ,DSS, abducted Ulaeto from her residence.
The publication said it suspects that the Ulaeto’s arrest was in connection with a story it published on the DSS purported invasion of the National Assembly.
The Newspaper had few days ago published a story where it claimed that the DSS invaded the Assembly complex to aide an impeachment plot against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
However, the OrderPaper said it has since apologised, wondering why Ulaeto was targeted.
“Today, October 18, 2024, a group of armed men, identifying themselves as officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), forcefully stormed the home of an OrderPaper staff member, Edna Ulaeto, and abducted her without any explanation.”
“The young lady, still in her casual nightwear, was violently manhandled and whisked away to an unknown destination, leaving her family and neighbors in shock and fear. Shockingly, it has come to light that her phone number was illegally tracked, a tactic typically reserved for dangerous criminals, not innocent media staff.
“OrderPaper suspects this cruel and unjust act is connected to a recent news article that mistakenly reported on an alleged DSS invasion of the National Assembly, supposedly to block an attempt to impeach the Senate President. Despite immediately issuing a retraction and public apology, masked men broke into her home, tore through her personal belongings, and caused immense trauma to her and her family.
“Neighbors who attempted to follow or capture the horrifying event were shoved aside, with some forced to delete photos and videos under the threat of arrest. No official notice or invitation was ever sent to the individual or OrderPaper by the DSS or police, raising serious concerns of foul play. Since the abduction, all efforts to reach her have failed, intensifying fears for her safety.
“This brazen, terrifying act has left the entire staff of OrderPaper living in fear, uncertain of what may happen next. We urgently call on the public, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and the international community to demand her immediate release and to ensure her safety. Join us in condemning this unlawful attack on press freedom and basic human rights before it is too late.”
