It was a traumatic moment for journalists in Kaduna State as terrorists kidnapped the bureau chiefs of two national newspapers and their families.
The two journalists and members of the Correspondent Chapel of the Kaduna chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), AbdulGafar Alabelewe and AbdulRaheem Audu, and their family members, were abducted at Millennium City, Igabi Council of Kaduna.
Both bureau chiefs reside in the same community and live as neighbours.
Alabelewe is also the current chairman of the chapel.
A family member of one of the victims who contacted The Guardian, Taofeeq Olayemi, said the bandits visited the community at about 10:30 p.m., on Saturday night and kidnapped Mr Alabelewe, his wife, and two of his children.
According to Olayemi, “they first broke AbdulRaheem’s door open and picked him and his wife. They left their sick daughter behind. Then they entered AbdulGafar’s house.
“They climbed the fence and jumped into his house. They went straight into his bedroom and picked him, his wife, and two of their children.
“Immediately they left, the vigilante group started shooting into the air.”
Vice chairman of the chapel, Hajiya Mayriam Suka, and secretary, Muhammad Sabiu, yesterday, said a six-member gang struck the two journalists’ homes on Saturday at about 10:00 p.m., and took them into the forest.
The union lamented that Alabelewe of The Nation, and AbdulRaheem of Blueprint were abducted alongside their family members in a most bizarre manner.
The chapel said: “This tragedy, to say the least, is a black Saturday that will remain forever etched in our minds. The six-member gang attacked their residences at a few minutes past 10 and took them into the forest.
“This morning (yesterday), the wife of Audu was released by the hoodlums. We have moved her to a safer place to avoid the crowd that has besieged their home since she regained her freedom.
“We appreciate the unwavering efforts of the council and the concern of our members who have been calling to sympathise with us since the ugly incident occurred.
“We also appreciate the efforts of security agencies and the government in ensuring that our members and their families are released unconditionally.
“While we continue to remain calm and pray for their safe return, we advise our members to be careful with their movements and utterances.”
At press time, spokesperson for Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan, was yet to respond to calls for comments on the incident.
The post Terrorists abduct two journalists, families in Kaduna appeared first on Guardian Nigeria News.
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