By BONIFACE AKARAH

US-based Nigerian lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe has called for the immediate release of Plateau State conflict reporter and human rights volunteer Lawrence Zongo, who he said was detained by the military while visiting relatives hospitalised after a recent attack in the state.

In a statement dated October 8, 2026, Ogebe said Zongo had been missing since Monday before colleagues discovered that he was in military custody. He described Zongo as a conflict reporter and humanitarian who was himself recovering from a recent accident and other health challenges.

According to Ogebe, Zongo had travelled to visit relatives receiving treatment after an attack in his community by suspected armed militias. Premium Times also reported on October 8 that Zongo was allegedly taken into custody on Monday at Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba Barracks, where the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division headquarters is located.

Ogebe said the reported detention was particularly troubling because Zongo had previously lost eight relatives in a Palm Sunday massacre at Zikke, Plateau State, which he said claimed more than 50 lives.

“My friend Lawrence Zongo has been arrested and unlawfully detained by Nigerian security forces while bereaved,” Ogebe said, calling on the Nigerian government to release him.

He recalled that despite his own loss, Zongo had volunteered in humanitarian efforts, including assisting a widow who lost seven members of her family and required a prosthetic limb.

Ogebe said Zongo, who recently turned 40, had remained a consistent voice for victims of violence and had continued visiting affected communities despite recovering from an accident.

“That’s the kind of committed humanitarian he has been over the last dozen years,” Ogebe stated.

Zongo has previously been identified in media reports as a community leader and conflict reporter who has documented attacks in Bassa Local Government Area and other parts of Plateau State. In May 2026, he confirmed to PUNCH the killing of 13 people, including three pregnant women, in Ngbra Zongo community in Kwall District, Bassa LGA.

Ogebe criticised the reported detention, arguing that security agencies should focus their resources on identifying and confronting those responsible for attacks rather than detaining victims and community members.

“It’s infuriating that instead of devoting resources and energy to finding and fighting the real terrorists, the military is detaining defenseless victims, community members, heroes and allies while known terrorists in government roam free,” he said.

He also linked the situation to wider concerns about insecurity and the Nigerian government’s handling of reports of violence against communities in Plateau State.

Ogebe further referred to the United States’ October 31, 2025 designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious-freedom concerns. The designation was announced by then-President Donald Trump under the International Religious Freedom Act.

He alleged that the Tinubu administration’s response had included efforts to manage its image abroad while activists faced pressure at home, and called for Zongo’s immediate release.

“Lawrence Zongo must be freed now,” Ogebe said.

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