Interpol Arrive in Abia State - Kidnapped Journalists

Senior officials of International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) have arrived the country on the invitation of the Federal Government to help track down the kidnappers of four journalists and a driver who were seized on Sunday by unknown gunmen.

In a message, one of the abducted journalists, who is also Chairman of Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Wahab Alabi Oba, said they were alright but desired freedom.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Interpol officials immediately on arrival headed straight to Umuahia, the Abia State capital, and held a crucial meeting with senior officials of the NUJ and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, for several hours.

The Interpol was created in 1923. It facilitates cross-border police co-operation, supports and assists all organisations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.

The National Secretary of NUJ, Mr. Shu'aibu Usman Leman, who confirmed the arrival of the Interpol officials yesterday, said, "The Nigeria Police is cooperating with the Interpol and its experts to crack open the case. Keep praying."

However, he said that yesterday morning when the kidnappers spoke with the National President of NUJ, Malam Muhammad Garba, they insisted on the N250 million ransom they demanded on Sunday.

"We are having a problem; as at the time we spoke with the kidnappers this morning, they are still insisting on the N250 million ransom. We told them their demand is unrealistic; that we don't have that kind of money; for us that is a near stalemate", he said.

Meanwhile, a security source told LEADERSHIP last night that the leaders of Umuafo-Ukwu community in Obingwa Local Government Area, where the journalists are said to be held, are not cooperating with the security operatives and the police on the issue.

"We believe the community leaders are aware of where the journalists are being held; they are not cooperating with us; they are not giving us any useful information; it is very frustrating", the security source added.

"Every Okada rider (commercial cyclist) is an informant; every telephone call operator in that community is an informant; as you are moving they are giving the kidnappers information; we also believe the community leaders are also involved in this notorious business of kidnapping."

The inspector-general of police had told the kidnappers involved in the notorious kidnapping business on Tuesday to get ready for war with his men. The police boss relocated to Abia State on Tuesday on the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan, who was said to have told him not to return to Abuja until the affected journalists and the driver were freed.

Four journalists, the chairman of the Lagos State council of the NUJ, Alhaji Wahab Alabi Oba, the assistant secretary of the council, Mr. Sylvester Okereke, the secretary of Zone 'G' of NUJ, Mr. Adolphus Okonkwo, a Lagos-based journalist, Mr. Shola Oyeyepo, and the driver attached to the council, Mr. Yekini Azazi, were kidnapped in Ukpakiri, Abia State, by unknown gunmen on their way back home from the meeting of National Executive Committee (NEC) of NUJ in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The gunmen demanded N250 million ransom.

Onovo, who arrived Umuahia Tuesday, had ordered the Abia and Akwa Ibom commands to fish out the abductors of the journalists in the area. Onovo, who gave the order during a courtesy visit on Gov. Theodore Orji, said the kidnappers went too far to abduct the journalists, whom he described as watch-dogs of the society. He said: "I want to sound a note of warning that the gradual approach of the police in tackling the crime should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

"We are only responding to the ideals of a democratic dispensation. "Since they decided to dare us we are out to fight them measure for measure.

"They said that you cannot make an omelet without breaking the egg. The civilian populace where the operation would be carried out would suffer inconveniences," he said. "I want to appeal to the people to bear with the police."

He urged the kidnappers to face the reality by surrendering the journalists, their arms and themselves. While urging the support of the people and government of the state in the operation code-named, "Ihe (Light)," he advised the people of Ngwaland to warn their siblings to surrender now to avoid blame.

Onovo said he was in Abia to evaluate the operations of the 10,000 policemen deployed to the South-East and expressed regret that most of the crime was centred in Aba. He, however, said that since the police men came, kidnapping had declined, noting that the abduction of the journalists was one of the isolated cases the police would tackle to achieve freedom. He noted that kidnapping had affected the economic well-being of the states where the crime was more pronounced.