Protest erupted on Monday in the heart of Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT) as executives and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) filed out in their numbers to demand the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to expedite actions for the safe return of missing journalist, Mr Tordue Henry Salem.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Tordue, a reporter who covers the House of Representatives for the Vanguard newspaper has been declared missing since October 13 and since then, nothing has been heard of him or his whereabouts.
Chairman of the FCT Council of the NUJ, Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche, who led the peaceful march to the NPF headquarters, said that a law abiding citizen should not go missing just few metres away from the force headquarters without any reasonable response from the police.
Mr Ogbeche called on the NPF to do everything possible to ensure that Tordue is found and returned alive. He presented a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, demanding actions and accountability for the safety of journalists, and the rescue of the missing colleague.
According to the NUJ FCT Council chairman, 48 hours after fellow colleagues who cover the House of Representatives realized Tordue had disappeared, a report was immediately incidented at the House of Reps Police Division.
He further revealed that this was followed by a petition to both the office of the IGP and that of the Director General of the Department of State Security by Tordue’s employers- Vanguard Media Ltd.
“Mr. Tordue Henry Salem of the Vanguard Newspapers went missing on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 right in front of the Total Filing Station less than a 100 meters from the Force Headquarters.
“48 hours after fellow colleagues who cover the House of Representatives realized he had DISAPPEARED, a report was immediately incidented at the House of Reps Police Division. This was followed by a petition to both your office and that of the Director General of the Department of State Security by his employers- Vanguard Media Ltd. This is outside calls by the leadership of the NUJ to senior officers of the Police.
“It is regrettable to note that 12 days after Mr. Tordue Henry Salem DISAPPEARED, nothing much has happened to indicate whether he is alive or dead; whether he is captive of the State, a non-state or an alien,” the petition reads in part.
The NUJ FCT Council thus demanded that the case be transferred to a special unit of the police under the office of the IGP, and that the NPF hold a confidential briefing with the family of Tordue, the leadership of the Union and his employers to calm frayed nerves.
Meanwhile, in his remarks, IGP Baba, who was represented by Force Public Relations officer, Frank Mba revealed that the case of the missing journalist was already with them and that investigation was ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the IGP, Mba assured that the missing journalist would be found. He also acceded to the demands of the Union.
▪︎ Report by The News Guru