Gunmen suspected of being troopers have reportedly kidnapped the editor of FirstNews newspaper, Segun Olatunji, from his house in Lagos State.
Olatunji, a former state correspondent of The PUNCH in Kaduna, was reportedly kidnapped by gunmen from his house in Iyana Odo, Abule Egba space of the state on Friday.
In an announcement on Saturday, the web newspaper's administration linked the motion to a latest story revealed by FirstNews titled “Revealed: “Head of Protection runs workplace like household enterprise – Public Curiosity Attorneys,” revealed by many different on-line platforms.
The administration additionally linked his kidnapping to a different report titled “EXCLUSIVE: How Contractor, Firm Stole N100 Billion, Laundered Cash for Prime Officers – Investigation”, which was later retracted.
The incident has induced panic among the many newspaper's staff, in accordance with administration.
Olatunji's spouse mentioned the ten armed males arrived at their house a couple of minutes after 6 p.m. and took her husband away.
She mentioned her husband's kidnappers took his telephone and confiscated it instantly after their arrival earlier than placing him in a van.
she added that makes an attempt to seek out out his transgression or the place they had been taking him had been rebuffed by the stern-looking males.
“Some armed males wearing navy uniform, ten in all (two in uniform and the remaining eight in mufti however all armed) arrived at our residence at Dauda Oriyomi Avenue, Iyana Odo, alongside Joke Ayo in Abule Egba space of the Lagos State and took my husband with them. .
“They refused to reveal his offense and the place they had been taking him regardless of each effort to get them to take action,” she mentioned.
The Writer of FirstNews, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who additionally confirmed the incident, mentioned there isn’t any hint of Olatunji as his telephone line has been switched, nor has anybody reached the household or administration of FirstNews to seek out out the true motive behind the incident to announce. his kidnapping.
Whereas condemning Olatunji's kidnapping, Iworiso-Markson acknowledged that he was by no means formally invited to reply any questions.
He mentioned: “FirstNews administration takes this chance to name on the navy excessive command and safety companies to tell us of his whereabouts and the explanation why he was arrested.
“FirstNews (on-line and print) is a famend, impartial digital information community that prides itself on being a frontline media outfit dedicated to participating its world-class audiences with factual, genuine and credible info.
“We conduct our journalistic actions in strict adherence to excessive requirements of ethics, duty, professionalism and legality, whereas exercising our rights to freedom of expression and data, all in an effort to offer credible reporting of the information behind the information within the assure politics, enterprise, training, sports activities, well being, leisure and way more.
“If an offense has occurred that endangers nationwide safety, Olatunji ought to have been formally invited first, as a substitute of this Gestapo arrest fashion harking back to the darkish days of the navy period when press freedom was suppressed.”
Try to talk to the Deputy Director of Public Relations of the ninth Brigade of the Nigerian Military, Main Augustine Kolawole Bello, proved abortive as he didn’t reply his name
He has not responded to the textual content message forwarded to his quantity on the time this report was accomplished.
