( A Nigerian NewsLeader Editorial)
Nigerians and indeed the media community in Nigeria woke on Saturday morning, March 16, 2024, to learn of the abduction of one of its citizens and the Editor of First News Newspaper, Mr Segun Olatunji.
According to trending news reports from his wife and family's account, Segun (fondly addressed by some of his colleagues as 'Baba Sege'), had his residence at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State, allegedly invaded at dusk period by a contingent of ten fully armed men, some of who allegedly wore military uniform, suggesting that Segun's abduction had the involvement of the Nigerian Army or those (impersonators) who acted under the cover of Army uniform.
Since that incident, Segun Olatunji's family and perhaps neighbours, his Organization, professional colleagues and fellow citizens have been in the throes of agony, apprehension, anxiety and outright exasperation over the continued holding of the journalist by his abductors and inability of the security establishment to secure his release.
There were speculations and conspiracy theories as to why Segun Olatunji was taken away. Was it as a result of the edition cover story by his newspaper, First News, about the military being "run like a family"? Was it about any other story on his newspaper's cover edition? Could the journalist have stepped on anyone's toes, in or outside journalism, in the cause of his job? Was the abduction a criminal case of kidnap? Questions,.more questions awaiting answers!
More worrisome in the face of public angst and agony of his family and colleagues in the media and in the First News newspaper, is the fact that no word, so far, has been heared from him or about his whereabout, six days after his reported abduction.
It is even saddening that the authorities of the Nigerian Army has not said anything to clear its name in respect of the abduction or to confirm or deny, whether or not, the journalist is in their custody or was ever involved in the shameful and criminal act of abduction of a defenceless citizen. This explanation is necessary considering the fact that two members of the abducting team were reportedly spotted adorning a military outfit, according to the narratives of the embattled Journalist's wife and family.
The umbrella Organization of all practicing Nigerian Journalist's, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has so far lived up to its responsibility of raising alarm about the abducted newsman and even demanded for his immediate and unconditional release by whoever or group that is or are holding him captive. Other media bodies have equally added their voices to the strident call for Olatunji's freedom, including his colleagues and employer at First News and his professional colleagues in their individual capacities.
But it is however quite heart-warming that the Nigerian Police Force, an organisation statutorily established by the extant 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) under section 214 and charged with the responsibility of protecting lives, properties and maintenance of law and social order, has promised to interface with the military and fully investigate the circumstances of the abduction and ultimately secure Mr Olatunji's release from captivity. Nigerians however await to see if the police will redeem it's pledge, and timely too!
In recent years, arrests, harassment, abduction or kidnapping, imprisonment, violent attacks and outright killing of journalists have been on the rise, going by available statistics. These evident realities have been working companions with practicing journalists. The issue of abduction of journalists, whether by suspected state agents, deviant gangsters or criminal mafioso, etc, has become a serious public concern, especially in the face of current insecurity in Nigeria.
For instance, among the established cases of abduction of journalists which was somewhat prevalent during the military regimes in Nigeria, occurred in Warri, Delta state, South South Nigeria, in November 2014. Though believed to be a mild drama, about 14 journalists were abducted in a commando style by suspected armed men and held hostage at Oporoza while returning from a press conference, addressed by the Itsekiri community of Ugborodo, moments after they left Ogidigben.
The abduction arose from unpleasant development arising from the call by the Ogidigben people who called on the then President Goodluck Jonathan to fix a new date for the groundbreaking of the $16 billion Delta Gas City project, saying the facility was on their land.
Among the journalists abducted in an ambush on the waterways at 1.p.m on that ill-fated day, were: Messers Sola Adebayo (Regional Editor, Leadership newspapers); Shola O’Neil (Regional Editor, Niger-Delta); Olu Philips, (Energy Reporter, Channels Television); Anthony Ebule (Publisher of Warri-based Fresh Angle Newspaper); Bolaji Ogundele (The Nation Newspaper Reporter in Warri); Emma Arubi (Senior Correspondent, Daily Independent Newspaper, Warri); Awoso Harry (Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS, Warri); Paulinus Odedey (a Media Camera man); Omoniyi Alex (Channels Tv) and Osaro Sado (AIT).
In other lands too, the abduction of journalists is rampant. On March 12, 2007, a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist, Alan Johnston, was abducted by the Army of Islam in Gaza City following which Johnston was held in captivity for 114 days.
And in November 11, 2009, in Mexico, María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe, a reporter for the Zamora-based daily El Diario de Zamora and local correspondent for the regional daily El Cambio de Michoacán, was last seen leaving her home in Zamora, 89 miles (144 kilometers) west of the state capital Morelia, after she received a call on her cell phone, according to news reports and CPJ interviews. No one has heard from her since, according to her colleagues.
Aguilar, a reporter with 10 years of experience who has worked with several regional outlets, had broken a series of stories on local corruption and organized crime for El Cambio de Michoacán in the weeks prior to her disappearance, according to the paper. On October 22, she reported on a military operation near Zamora in which at least three individuals, including the son of a local politician, were arrested on suspicion of participating with organized crime groups.
On October 27, she published a story on local police abuse, after which a high-ranking official was forced to resign. Three days later, she reported on the arrest of an alleged boss of the Michoacán-based dug cartel La Familia Michoacana. According to a colleague at the daily, Aguilar did not use her byline on any of the stories for fear of reprisal.
Aguilar had not received any threats, colleagues told CPJ. However, some said they believed her disappearance could be linked to her work, El Cambio de Michoacán reported. Michoacán State Prosecutor, Jesús Montejano Ramírez, said state authorities were investigating Aguilar's disappearance, the national daily Milenio reported. Montejano said he could not make any leads public in order not to interfere with the investigation.
But, even as the police promises to investigate Mr Segun Olatunji's curious disappearance from his home, it is important that the authorities of the Nigerian state come to terms urgently with the fact that the security of the citizens, no matter their social and economic conditions, is paramount in the Legion of their state responsibilities. There is nothing to excuse non compliance with this task which is one of the primary purposes of governance.
On the strength of this fact, we (Nigerian NewsLeader Newspaper) call on the federal government of Nigeria to show more than a passing interest in the journalist's abduction and indeed in the abduction of several other Nigerian citizens including women, and school children who were stolen in recent times by unknown abductors. As we have said, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should realise that the safety and security of its citizens is its primary constitutional responsibility. Mr President, at this point, can not affect elaborate indifference to the cries and SOS call by the wife and children of Mr Olatunji, for his presidential intervention on this matter.
This newspaper (Nigerian NewsLeader) also call on the authorities of the Nigerian Army to see it as it's moral obligation to join efforts with the police to ensure that the whereabout of Mr Segun Olatunji is located and his freedom promptly secured, since among the unknown armed men who took away the journalist were alleged to be wearing military uniform. This is a moral duty. Therefore, keeping quiet and delaying further in coming out with an official position or clarification on the alleged involvement of uniformed men of the Army in the abduction saga, does not put the esteemed military institution of this nation in good local and international public perception.
In a season like this, we equally call on the media community in Nigeria and Segun's colleagues in particular, to take the unfortunate development in sober terms, while intensifying efforts within the limits of the law, to ensure that justice is done by the eventual release of the journalist through the efforts of government and its relevant security organs. NNL.
