The Nigerian Police Force has confirmed that Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, is in their custody five days after his sudden disappearance.

Police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed to journalists that Mr Ojukwu, who went missing on May 1, was arrested by officers of the cybercrime centre.

“It has been confirmed that the journalist, Daniel Ojukwu, was arrested by the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre, Abuja, based on a petition filed against him,” Mr Adejobi said.

“It’s a case of violation of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act 2015 and other extant laws of the land. He has a case to answer. This was confirmed to me on Sunday by the CP and head of the centre,” he added. 

The police statement on Mr Ojukwu’s whereabouts came after FIJ declared him missing. The outlet had searched for him for 48 hours, raising the alarm over his whereabouts. 

Fisayo Soyombo, FIJ’s publisher, on Sunday, revealed Mr Ojukwu was abducted over a story exposing corruption titled: “SPECIAL REPORT: 2 Weeks Before End of Buhari’s Tenure, Special Assistant Adejoke Adefulire Paid a Restaurant N147.1m to Build Classrooms in Lagos. A Lot Was Amiss”

Mr Soyombo condemned Mr Ojukwu’s disappearance, saying it was an “abduction” by the Nigerian police.

“To disappear him (Mr Ojukwu) like that, throw us all into turmoil, leave us scampering from police station to police station lodging a missing person report, holding him incommunicado for two days, which would have been longer had we not received a tip-off, is an act of abduction,” Mr Soyombo wrote on X on Sunday.

Mr Ojukwu’s secret arrest by the Nigerian police is another case of “enforced disappearance”, Amnesty International condemned while calling on Nigerian authorities to show commitment to ending the menace.

In a statement on Sunday, the human rights organisation condemned Mr Ojukwu’s “unlawful detention,” calling for his unconditional release.

“Journalist Daniel Ojukwu is spending the fifth day arbitrarily detained for just doing his job. 

“The Nigeria Police @PoliceNG must end this brazen use of the Cyber Crimes Act (2015) to undermine the right to freedom of expression, punish journalists and suppress media freedom.”