15th July, 2010
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State on Wednesday condemned the kidnapping of four journalists and their driver and called on the Federal Government to overhaul the nation’s security network.
Yuguda made the call in Bauchi through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad.
Yuguda told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that kidnapping has assumed an ugly trend and required urgent surgical operation of the nation’s security network.
He said: “As a matter of urgency, it is apt to quickly overhaul the security system in order to nip the ugly development in the bud before it goes out of control.
“The kidnap of the journalists is a national disgrace and an affront on the security system.
“Nigerians must put all hands on deck and assist the security operatives with relevant information to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”
Yuguda , however, commended the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, for temporarily relocating his operational office to the south-eastern part of the country.
NAN reports that the journalists, Wahab Oba, Sylvester Okereke, Adolphus Okonkwo and Shola Oyeyepo, as well as their driver, Yekini Aziz, were on Sunday abducted at gun point about 10 kilometres to Aba in Abia.
They were on their way to Lagos from Uyo in Akwa Ibom after attending the NUJ National Executive Committee meeting.
The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N250 million.