Nasarawa: Abductors demand N5m for release of journalist’s wife

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Suleiman Abubakar, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chairman, Correspondents’ chapel, Nasarawa State has said that the gunmen, who attacked him and abducted his wife, Yahanasu demanded for N5 million for her release.

Abubakar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lafia that the abductors had on Wednesday evening attacked him, his wife and three other women.

He said he narrowly escaped from the bus while the abductors went with his wife and the other victims.

He said the women were abducted by the gunmen, following attack on Gudi-Garaku Road in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state on their way to Lafia, the state capital.

According to Abubakar, the assailants shot at the union’s bus conveying himself and the victims from Keffi, where his wife had gone to register at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, at about 7p.m.

“They called me this morning demanding for N5 million in order to secure the release of my wife, however, I told them that I can only afford N50,000 and they said I was not serious.

“They also allowed my wife to speak with me on the phone to ascertain that she was alright, “ he said.

“The bus ran into a ditch after being shot at while the gunmen swooped on us but I escaped while they took my wife and the other women.

“One of the women is a wife of a former State House of Assembly member who they offered free ride.

Meanwhile, ASP Samaila Usman, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Police Command in the state, said that the command was working assiduously to secure the release of the victims unhurt.