Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested journalist Edna Ulaeto of OrderPaper during a raid on her home on Friday.
This was made known in a statement by OrderPaper management detailing the incident.
The news organisation stated that a group of armed men, identifying themselves as DSS officers from the Office of the National Security Adviser, stormed Ms. Ulaeto’s residence early that morning.
According to the statement, the operatives allegedly mistreated Ms. Ulaeto while she was still in her nightwear and took her to an undisclosed location.
“The young lady, still dressed in her casual nightwear, was violently manhandled and forcibly taken away to an unknown destination, leaving her family and neighbors in shock and fear,” the statement said.
OrderPaper also claimed that Ms. Ulaeto’s phone number had been unlawfully tracked.
Her arrest is reportedly linked to a recent OrderPaper article that mistakenly reported a DSS operation at the National Assembly, allegedly aimed at preventing the removal of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Although the newspaper retracted the story and issued a public apology, masked officers reportedly broke into Ms. Ulaeto’s home, searched through her personal belongings, and caused significant distress to her family.
The statement added that neighbors who attempted to intervene or document the event were reportedly pushed aside, with some being forced to delete their photos and videos under threat of arrest.
No formal notice or invitation was issued to either Ms. Ulaeto or OrderPaper prior to the raid, raising concerns over the legality of the operation. Attempts to reach Ms. Ulaeto following her arrest were unsuccessful, increasing fears for her safety.
“This brazen, terrifying act has left the entire staff of OrderPaper living in fear, uncertain about what could happen next,” the statement continued.
The organization called on civil society and the international community to demand Ms. Ulaeto’s immediate release and to condemn the action as an attack on press freedom and human rights.