The two abducted Kaduna journalists – AbdulGafar Alabelewe of The Nation newspapers and AbdulRaheem Aodu of Blueprint newspapers – have been released from captivity alongside their family members after six days in captivity.
The journalists were abducted on July 6, 2024, at their residences in the Danhonu community in the Millennium City area of Kaduna.
This is just as a coalition of Nigerian journalists and civic space defenders have launched the ‘#DontPoliceMySpeech’ campaign to demand an end to the abuse of power and the criminalisation of free speech by Nigerian authorities following the increasing attacks on journalists and online dissenters in the country in recent times.
Confirming the release of the Kaduna journalists in a statement issued on Saturday, the chairperson of the Kaduna State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Asma’u Halilu, said: “To the glory of God Almighty, our colleagues, Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Abduraheem Aodu, and their families have been released.
“The council extends its profound gratitude to the office of the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Director General of the Department of State Services, the Inspector General of Police, Kaduna State government, the NUJ President and all well-meaning Nigerians that prayed along with us during the trying time.
“We will soon announce when they will join us in Kaduna so that we can visit, rejoice and glorify God with them”.
Halilu said the journalists and their families were in the office of the NSA in Abuja.
The two journalists were abducted alongside their wives and children.
However, Aodu’s wife was released the same day they were abducted due to ill health.
Alabelewe was however abducted alongside his wife and two children.
