Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has decried the rising cases of insecurity, kidnapping and arrests of journalists by Nigeria Police.
Atiku Abubakar said Nigerian journalists who have remained the only beacon of light in their unwavering duty to hold government in power to account, have been subjected to arrests and detention by President Bola Tinubu-led government.
Recall that there had been protests against the Nigeria Police for detaining a former editor of First News and a journalist with Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
“In these perilous times, the courageous sentinels of truth, our journalists, stand as beacons of light, unwavering in their duty to hold power accountable. Yet, they find themselves besieged not only by the terror of abductors but also by a government that continues to assault their freedom through arrests and detention.
“These abductions are damning indictments of our leaders’ failure to secure the safety of citizens and an intolerable breach of press freedom (as it relates to the journalists),” Atiku said on Sunday, in a statement.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said increasing reports of bandits’ kidnapping showed a gross failure of the federal government to protect the citizens.
“Adding to this travesty is the kidnap of 78-year-old Mr Takai Shamang, President and Founder of Gantys Aid for Widows, Orphans and Needy Foundation (GAWON) and former President General of the National Union of Electricity and Gas Workers (now known as the National Union of Electricity Employees) between 1982 and 1989.
“Before then, Janet Galadima-Gimba, a customary court judge in the same Kaduna, had been abducted and released. But her sons are still in captivity, with the abductors reportedly making a demand of N150 million as ransom. Elsewhere in Katsina, 75-year-old Hauwa’u Adamu, mother of the popular Hausa singer, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, or Rarara, as he is fondly known was kidnapped on Friday.
“This despicable act underscores the dire state of our nation’s security and the gross failure of our leaders to protect its citizens,” he said.
Alhaji Atiku called on security agencies to decisively secure the release of kidnapped citizens. He advised the security agencies to prioritize intelligence gathering and sharing.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the abducted. I call upon the security agencies to act decisively and without delay to secure their release but to prioritize intelligence gathering and sharing,” he added.