Journalist kidnapped in Abia

The Umuahia, Abia State Correspondent of The Nation Newspapers, Mr. Ugochukwu Eke, has been kidnapped.

According to a family source, the incident occurred around 7:30 pm on Sunday at his family house located at  Ogbor Hill Aba.

Eke who went to visit his family over the weekend, was said to be driving into his compound when suddenly the hoodlums pounced on him and dragged him out of his car into a waiting to an unknown destination.

A family source said contact had been established with his abductors who are demanding a ransom of N20 million.

Commissioner for Petroleum and alternate Commissioner for Information, Chief Don Ubani who confirmed the incident described it as very unfortunate.

He expressed worry that a journalist who has been contributing his quota to the development of the society would be the target of kidnappers.

His words: ” He is not a man of extreme wealth , just a middle class man who constitutes no threat to anybody.”
He regretted that the incident occurred at a time when government had successfully flushed out kidnappers that once terrorized the state around 2009.

The Commissioner said the security agencies had been alerted , and were working assiduously to rescue him.

He said government would do every thing within its powers to ensure that Eke is released unhurt.

The Chairman of the Abia State Nigeria Union of Journalists, John Emejor , appealed to Eke’s abductors to quickly release him .

He also appealed to the state government to stop at nothing in facilitating the early release of the victim.

Similarly, the Chairman, Correspondents Chapel of NUJ, Abia State, Mr. Emma Ugwu, expressed shock over the incident, and said journalists could not afford to operate in fear as the 2015 elections set in.

He urged for prayers among  members of the public for divine intervention so that the kidnapped journalist could reunite with members of his traumatized family.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the state police command for confirmation were not successful as the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna refused to pick his calls.

Source-Punchng