Unidentified gunmen raided the residences of Alhaji AbdulGafar Alabelewe, a reporter for The Nation newspaper, and AbdulRaheem Aodu of Blueprint Newspaper in Danhonu community, Millennium City, Chikun local government area of Kaduna.
A close contact of one of the victims, Taofeeq Olayemi, confirmed the incident, stating that the bandits stormed the community around 10:30 pm on Saturday, firing shots indiscriminately before carrying out their abduction.
Alhaji Alabelewe, who is also the current chairman of the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, was kidnapped alongside his wife and two children. Alhaji Aodu and his wife were also abducted, while their sick daughter was left behind.
“They initially took Alhaji Abdulgafar, his wife, three of their children, and a girl staying with them. Later, they instructed the girl to return with one child, leaving behind Abdulgafar, his wife, and two children.”
“They broke doors and windows and removed burglar bars after scaling the fence.”
Olayemi, a family member of Mr. Aodu who lives nearby, recounted, “They arrived around 10:30 pm on Saturday, shooting sporadically. They forced open Aodu’s door, took him and his wife, and left their sick daughter behind.”
“Then they entered Abdulgafar’s house through the fence and broke into his bedroom. They took him, his wife, and two of their children, and left immediately. Shortly afterward, vigilantes arrived and began firing into the air.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mansir Hassan, has not yet briefed the public on the incident.