Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested journalist Edna Ulaeto, an OrderPaper employee, following a raid at her home on Friday.
This development was disclosed in a statement by the management of OrderPaper, which detailed how a group of armed men, identifying themselves as DSS officers from the Office of the National Security Adviser, forcefully entered Ms. Ulaeto’s residence early that morning.
According to the statement, Ms. Ulaeto, who was still in her nightwear, was allegedly mistreated by the officers and taken to an unknown location.
“The young woman, dressed in her casual nightwear, was roughly handled and forcefully taken away to an undisclosed destination, leaving her family and neighbors in shock and fear,” the statement read.
OrderPaper also alleged that Ms. Ulaeto’s phone had been illegally tracked prior to the arrest.
Her detention is reportedly linked to a recent article by OrderPaper that mistakenly reported a DSS operation at the National Assembly, allegedly aimed at preventing the removal of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Despite retracting the story and issuing a public apology, masked officers allegedly broke into Ms. Ulaeto’s home, rummaged through her personal belongings, and caused distress to her family.
The statement added that neighbors who attempted to intervene or record the incident were pushed aside, with some forced to delete their photos and videos under the threat of arrest.
Neither Ms. Ulaeto nor OrderPaper received any formal notice or invitation before the raid, raising questions about the legality of the operation. Efforts to reach Ms. Ulaeto after her arrest have been unsuccessful, heightening concerns for her safety.
“This brazen and terrifying incident has left the entire staff of OrderPaper in fear, unsure of what may happen next,” the statement continued.
The organization has called on civil society and the international community to demand Ms. Ulaeto’s immediate release and to denounce the incident as an assault on press freedom and human rights.