The armed men stormed Danhonu community in Millennium city of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna and raided houses of the reporters of The Nation newspaper, Alhaji AbdulGafar Alabelewe, and that of Blueprint Newspaper, AbdulRaheem Aodu, their wives and children .
The Nation is linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while Blueprint is owned by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
Alhaji Alabelewe is also the current chairman of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council.
A family member of one of the victims, Taofeeq Olayemi, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits stormed the community at about 10:30pm on Saturday and started shooting sporadically before carrying out their action.
He said they kidnapped Alhaji Alabelewe, his wife and two of his children, while Alhaji Aodu and his wife were kidnapped, leaving behind their sick daughter.
“Initially, they picked Alhaji Abdulgafar, his wife and three of his children and a girl staying with them before asking the girl to return back with one of the children, leaving with Abdulgafar, his wife and two children.”
“They shattered their doors, windows and removed their burglary after scaling the fence.”
Olayemi, a family member of Mr. Aodu, who lives close to the victims’ houses said: “They came around 10:30pm on Saturday and started shooting sporadically. They first burst Aodu’s door open and picked him and his wife and left their sick daughter behind.
“Then, they entered Abdulgafar’s house through the fence and jumped into his house. They went straight into his bedroom and picked him, his wife and two of their kids. They left immediately, after which the vigilantes arrived and started shooting into the air.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Kaduna, ASP Mansir Hassan could not be reached for reaction as his phone was not connecting as at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Council of NUJ, in a joint statement issued by the Council’s Chairman Asma’u Halilu and the Secretary, Gambo Sanga, issued in Kaduna on Sunday, vehemently condemned the abduction.
According to the statement: “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.”
Expressing dismay over the unfortunate abduction of the innocent journalists alongside their wives and children, the NUJ added in the statement: “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.”
