Bandits on Saturday night abducted two journalists -The Nation’s Abdulgafar Alabelewe and Blueprint newspaper’s AbdulRaheem Abdu, their wives and children.
The bandits had invaded Dahjonu community in Millennium City of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where the two journalists and their family members live, to kidnap them.
The Nation’s Alabelewe is also the current chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna State Council.
According to one of the victims’ family members, Taofeeq Olayemi, who confirmed the incident, the bandits invaded the community at about 10.30 pm and shot indiscriminately before seizing the victims.
He said the bandits first kidnapped Alabelewe, his wife, and two of his children, shortly after Aodu and his wife, who was also sick, were abducted by the same gang, leaving behind their sick daughter.
He said, “Initially, they picked Abdulgafar, his wife, and three of his children and a girl staying with them before asking the girl to return with one of the children and left with Abdulgafar, his wife, and two children.
“They shattered their doors and windows and removed their burglary after scaling the fence.”
Olayemi, who is also a neighbour to the victims, further said, “They came around 10:30 pm on Saturday and started shooting indiscriminately.
“They first forced 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 and left immediately, after which the vigilantes arrived and started shooting into the air.”
State Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, could not be reached for comments.
His telephone line was not still unreachable as of the time of filing this report.
