In a disturbing escalation of the ongoing assault on press freedom, Chronicle Reporters journalist Manasseh B. Paul, who was violently attacked and unlawfully arrested earlier this week, has been secretly taken before the Gwagwalada Magistrate Court opposite the School for the Gifted, amid reports that authorities plan to remand him in prison custody.
According to eyewitnesses and rights advocates, the journalist—who had published an investigative report exposing alleged financial misconduct involving Hon. Ezekiel Zezelaga Mandate, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chairmanship candidate for Gwagwalada Area Council—was brutalized, had one of his teeth knocked out, and was denied medical treatment following his arrest.
Sources confirmed to Chronicle Reporters that Manasseh was brought to court Thursday morning without prior notice to his legal counsel, in what observers described as a deliberate attempt to deny him fair representation and fast-track his detention.
“They beat him mercilessly,” said one eyewitness who requested anonymity for security reasons. “His face was swollen, his tooth was gone, and he was bleeding. He kept asking for a doctor, but they refused. This morning, they took him straight to court without informing his lawyers. The plan is to send him to prison.”
The alleged assault was reportedly orchestrated by Hon. Ezekiel Zezelaga Mandate, with the active participation of officers from the Gwagwalada Police Division, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.
Earlier, ElShammah S. Manasseh, Secretary of Everybody Must Serve (EMS), Abuja Chapter, had condemned the arrest as “a direct assault on democracy, press freedom, and the conscience of Nigeria.” He called for Manasseh’s immediate and unconditional release, as well as an independent investigation into both the politician and the police officers involved.
Legal experts have also decried the apparent violation of due process, noting that arraigning a suspect without legal representation contradicts Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing.
Human rights groups monitoring the development warned that the government’s silence in the face of such violations sends a dangerous message about the shrinking civic and media space in Nigeria.
“This is an orchestrated attempt to silence a journalist for doing his job,” said a senior human rights lawyer in Abuja. “No journalist should be brutalized, denied medical care, or taken to court in secret for exposing corruption. This is persecution, not prosecution.”
As of the time of filing this report, efforts by Chronicle Reporters to reach Hon. Ezekiel Zezelaga Mandate and the Gwagwalada Police Division for official comments were unsuccessful.
The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and several civil society organizations are reportedly mobilizing for an emergency protest at the Gwagwalada Magistrate Court to demand the journalist’s release and medical attention.
This is a developing story. Chronicle Reporters will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.