AFRICA MEDIA WATCH, the press freedom arm of Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) wants the Nigerian Police Force to do all it can within its power to ensure the safe return of kidnapped Nigerian Journalist, Friday Okeregbe to his family.
It also asks the Force to take more steps to protect all journalists from all forms of attacks and harassments.
In a statement issued by the Project Manager, Joy Gadani said information available to AFRICA MEDIA WATCH shows that the Abuja-based reporter of Channels Television, Mr. Okeregbe, was kidnapped by unidentified persons on Friday 22nd March 2019 on his way back from an automobile mechanic workshop along the Games Village in Abuja, the Nation’s capital.
It said although Channels Television, where Mr Okeregbe works and the police have not issued any statement to that effect, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja Council, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, confirmed the incidence in a chat with AFRICA MEDIA WATCH, adding that the Council so far, has not established the motive behind the kidnap of their colleague.
The statement quoted the NUJ Chairman as saying “I visited the house of the kidnapped journalist and met the wife who confirmed that the kidnappers called the family and made a demand of 50million naira ransom “.
Cases of kidnap for ransom, according to the statement, has risen in Nigeria in the last three years, especially along Abuja – Kaduna Express Way, where kidnappers collect millions of naira from families before release of victims.
A private legal practitioner, Emmanuel Avong, opined in an interview with the MEDIA WATCH that the prevalence of kidnapping in Nigeria was occasioned by widespread poverty, job losses and unemployment, adding that “it is further encouraged by insecurity and the inability of the security forces, especially the police to curb such crimes”.
Currently, the statement explained, only four Nigerian States comprising of Kaduna, Lagos, Imo and Ondo have anti kidnap laws. An attempt was made at the National Assembly in 2018 for a 30-year imprisonment term, but the bill was not passed into law.
“Needless to say, it is lucrative for those involved in the act,” Avong said.
