A group of sports journalists have been kidnapped in Isseke community of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Journalists were said to be travelling to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to make a coverage of the Nigeria vs Libya African Cup of Nations qualifying match, which is scheduled to take place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, tomorrow the 11th of October,2024.
According to reports gathered, the journalists, numbering about 11, were travelling in a bus through Isseke around the Ihiala area on Wednesday when they fell victims to hoodlums as per kidnap.
From reports gathered by the media, a source interviewed reported today Thursday, 10th of October, 2024, that nine of the sports journalists had been rescued, while one, identified as Kola, was discovered dead.
The source further stated that four of the victims are still being held in captivity by the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, when reached out to, police authorities in Anambra confirmed the incident to the public.
The spokesperson of the Anambra state police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who spoke to newsmen in Awka, when contacted on Thursday, confirmed that six members of the crew had been rescued awaiting the rescue of the other Journalists.
In his words, the police spokesperson said , "Joint security forces have successfully rescued six members of the media crew who were abducted while travelling from Lagos to Uyo along the Isseke-Orlu Road in Ihiala.
On the other hand, operations are currently still ongoing for the possible rescue of the seventh crew member still missing.
“Further developments shall be communicated” the Anambra police spokesperson said.
Reports gathered by socio-political risk consultancy firm shows that, since 2019, there have been 735 mass abductions in Nigeria.
According to them, between July 2022 and June 2023, 3,620 people were abducted in 582 kidnapping cases with about 5 billion naira ($3,878,390) paid in ransoms.
Close to 1,000 people have been kidnapped in Nigeria in the first three months of 2024 alone, amid rush of attacks that has become the country's most potent security threat.
Many of the kidnaps have been committed by groups called "bandits," of which 3,000 to 5,000 are believed to be active, operating from forests mostly in north and central Nigeria, according to security analysts.
