Investigative journalist Stanley Ugagbe of SecretsReporters was taken into custody by masked security operatives on July 1, 2026, and held for approximately 48 hours before being located at a police facility in Abuja, according to reports from his news organization.
Ugagbe was reportedly intercepted by armed men in plain clothes around 6:00 p.m. in Karu, Abuja, while returning home from a professional training session. He was handcuffed, transported to his residence in Jikwoyi, where his work laptop and mobile phone were seized, and then driven to an undisclosed location while blindfolded, SecretsReporters stated.
The journalist was later identified as being held at the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC). Sources at the facility indicated that at least one formal petition against Ugagbe was filed by Emem Usoro, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), alleging that he published false information about her. A second petition, reportedly submitted anonymously, accused the media platform of leaking sensitive government information.
During questioning, Ugagbe maintained that he was assigned stories by SecretsReporters management and did not personally hold source materials for investigative reports, which he said are organizational assets. He also noted that all equipment used by reporters belongs to the publication.
The detention followed a SecretsReporters investigative series examining Usoro’s alleged links to a 3.6 million property in Los Angeles and questions surrounding asset declaration compliance.
Ugagbe has since been released. The Nigeria Police Force has not publicly acknowledged or commented on the circumstances of his detention.
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Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
