Madu Onuorah, the Abuja-based online publisher and editor-in-chief of the Globalupfront newspaper has been released on bail by the Police in Enugu State.
Everyday.ng learnt he was let go in Enugu on Thursday night after he gave a statement on a story used by his onliine platform on the activities of a US-based Reverend Sister, who allegedly rough-handled her septugenarian stepmother.
Recall that policemen in gestapo-style bundled the senior journalist out of his home, while his wife and children watched, took him to a police station in Lugbe area of Abuja, and took him by road onThursday morning to Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
He was then moved to Enugu, the Enugu State capital, where the command. The command, in a statement, said it is in receipt of several publications alleging the abduction of Onuorah, maintaining his arrest followed a petition by a United States-based Reverend Sister.
“The Command wishes to state that contrary to the allegations, he was duly arrested in Abuja with the assistance of police operatives from Ebonyi State Command and (with) the aid of intelligence, after efforts made to formally invite him failed.
“Furthermore, his arrest was following the receipt of a written petition to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, against him over an alleged defamatory publication he made against a US-based Reverend Sister.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, it was gathered, ordered the office handling the case to professionally investigate and ensure that justice prevails.
“He calls on the press family, particularly the leadership and members of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and associates of the suspect, to exercise patience, assuring that the needful will be done in the case.”
Recall that the management of Globalupfront Newspaper, earlier on Thursday, explained how he was arrested.
It wrote: “Nigerian Journalism once again came under attack on Wednesday, 22/5/2024 as the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Globalupfront Newspaper (Online), Mr. Madu Onuorah was whisked away by men of the Nigerian Police Force at anout 6pm.
About ten fully-armed policemen stormed his residence in Lugbe, Abuja, in two Sienna buses.
“He was arrested in the presence of his wife and children who fruitlessly demanded from the police why they were arresting the head of the family.
“The police have seized Mr. Onuorah’s phones, thereby completely cutting him off from communication with people, including his family members.
“He was not even allowed to contact his lawyer or any of his relations before he was whisked away to the Lugbe police station by the stern looking operatives.
“To make sure Mr. Onuorah did not get attention or bail, the policemen who arrested him, though not of the Lugbe Police Station, simply dumped him at the Station and left no traces for friends and family members to reach them.
“The Management of Globalupfront Newspapers states as follows:
1. That the Police should release Mr. Madu Onuorah immediately and unconditionally.
2. That Mr. Onuorah is an experienced Journalist, former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper, former Managing-Director of The AUTHORITY Newspaper, who operates within the ambit of the law.
3. That anybody who has any issue against Mr. Onuorah should approach the law court and not turn the Nigerian Police into a Gestapo outfit that bullies a man in the presence of his wife and children.
4. That any second Mr. Onuorah spends in police custody constitutes a serious infringement against his fundamental rights and a continuation of the assault on freedom of expression that has become frequent occurrence in Nigeria recently.”
Meanwhile, in the published story by Globalupfront the United States-based Reverend Sister, Ngozi Mamah of the University Sisters of Assumptions Congregation, was said to have been dragged to court in Obollo Afor, Udenu Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State for allegedly assaulting her 75-year-old stepmother, Mrs Beatrice Mamah.
The report reads further that the incident occurred in Amagu, Ada Agu Obollo Etiti in her family house where the Reverend Sister allegedly slapped the stepmother several times for refusing to join a marabou praying group she allegedly brought in from Imo State.
The stepmother, who is a devout Catholic and who has the title of Nnemuruoha, a title reserved for recognized and committed Catholic mothers of Nsukka Catholic Diocese, had infuriated the Reverend Sister for refusing to join the praying group because she saw them as non-Catholics performing rituals that are not of Catholic tradition.
The Sister, who imported the praying group as part of her mother’s first anniversary, allegedly abused the stepmother before allegedly proceeding to assault her.
Children of the Nnemuruoha took the matter to Obollo Afor Police station where relations tried in vain to resolve the issues.
The Reverend sister who sensed that her strange prayer group would face resistance in the Catholic-dominated village, allegedly brought in security operatives who traveled with her to the village for protection.
The praying group allegedly conducted a series of incantations with candles, biscuits, and wine are said to have returned to their base in Imo State.
Globalùpfront newspaper reported that when the case came before the Obollo Afor Magistrate Court on Tuesday April 30, 2024, a Parish Priest allegedly pleaded for the case to be settled out of court.
“His request was obliged and he was given one week to report back to the court,” the online newspaper added.
