Gunmen kidnap former NLC President, two journalists, family members in Kaduna

 

.As Atiku, NUJ condemn abduction, seek early rescue by security agents

 

Gunmen have kidnapped two journalists, AbdulGafar Alabelewe and Abdulraheem Aodu, and some members of their families.

 

The kidnaps occurred in two separate incidents Saturday night in the same Danhono 2 community, Millenium City, Kaduna.

 

Mr Alabelewe, a correspondent for The Nation Newspaper and Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel in Kaduna, was kidnapped along with three members of his family.

 

In the same community, Mr Aodu, a correspondent for Blueprint Newspaper, was kidnapped alongside his wife.

 

A former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna chapter, Adamu Yusuf, and another member of the union, Tajudeen Ajigbade, confirmed the incidents.

 

The Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mansir Hassan, confirmed the abductions to journalists.

 

He said efforts are underway to locate and rescue the victims.

 

No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions. However, kidnapping for ransom is common in many parts of Kaduna and other parts of the country. The kidnaps are carried out by various armed groups, including those locally called bandits.

 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has condemned the abduction of  its members in Kaduna State.

 

Condemning their abduction, the Kaduna State council of the NUJ, expressed shock over the incident.

 

In a joint statement issued on Sunday by the Council’s Chairman Asma’u Halilu and the Secretary, Gambo Sanga said : “NUJ has received with shock, the brazen and barbaric attack by suspected kidnappers.

 

”The attack resulted in the abduction of the Kaduna State Correspondents of The Nation Newspaper and the BluePrint Newspaper, alongside their families last night at their residences in Danhono area, a Kaduna suburb, in Chikun LGA.

 

“We strongly condemn the ugly incident and appeal to the security agencies in the state to swing into action with a view to rescuing the journalists and their families from the kidnappers’ den.”

 

The statement expressed dismay over the unfortunate abduction of the innocent journalists alongside their wives and children.

 

It added : “We implore the government at all levels to intensify efforts towards guaranteeing the security of lives and property of the citizens at all times.

 

”The ugly phenomenon of kidnapping in Kaduna and environs is now resurfacing and must be checked to avert the experiences of the recent past.

 

“The Kaduna State Council of NUJ, however, enjoined all practicing journalists in the state to be vigilant in their daily activities while also praying for the safe return of their abducted colleagues and their families.”

However, Vice President Atiku Abubaker has noted that In these perilous times, the courageous sentinels of truth, our journalists, stand as beacons of light, unwavering in their duty to hold power accountable. Yet, they find themselves besieged not only by the terror of abductors but also by a government that continues to assault their freedom through arrests and detention.

 

Adding to this travesty is the kidnap of 78-year-old Mr Takai Shamang, President and Founder of Gantys Aid for Widows, Orphans and Needy Foundation (GAWON) and former President General of the National Union of Electricity and Gas Workers (now known as the National Union of Electricity Employees) between 1982 and 1989.

 

Before then, Janet Galadima-Gimba, a customary court judge in the same Kaduna, had been abducted and released. But her sons are still in captivity, with the abductors reportedly making a demand of N150 million as ransom. Elsewhere in Katsina, 75-year-old Hauwa’u Adamu, mother of the popular Hausa singer, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, or Rarara, as he is fondly known was kidnapped on Friday.

 

This despicable act underscores the dire state of our nation’s security and the gross failure of our leaders to protect its citizens.

 

These abductions are damning indictments of our leaders’ failure to secure the safety of citizens and an intolerable breach of press freedom (as it relates to the journalists).

 

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the abducted. I call upon the security agencies to act decisively and without delay to secure their release but to prioritise intelligence gathering and sharing.