Three days after armed men suspected to be security agents stormed the Lagos home of FirstNews Editor, Mr. Segun Olatunji, and abducted him, no word yet from them regarding the incident.
The whereabouts of Olatunji also remains unknown and the handset (phone) bearing his MTN line had been switched off since Friday, March 15.
The abduction of the veteran journalist, who is a Special Apostle and a very active member of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church is causing not a small concern among his professional colleagues, family members and community.
Worried Olatunji’s wife told The Daily Crucible that her husband’s abductors had not open any line of communication since the abduction took place on Friday evening, to enable the family know who they were and what was their mission.
She said the matter had been reported to the Police in Lagos on Sunday but stressed that the family hasn’t received any feedback yet from that quarters.
This online news platform had Friday reported that armed men believed to be soldiers stormed the residence of Mr. Segun Olatunji at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State and whisked him away.
The abductors, it was learnt, reached for his phone and seized it when they arrived before hurling him into a waiting van like a common criminal and sped away.
The abductors came some minutes after 6pm, according to Olatunji’s wife, who said the men numbering ten, arrived at their residence and took her husband away to a yet – to – be ascertained location.
The palpably worried wife said efforts to know her husband’s offence or where they were taking him to were treated with disdain by the fierce – looking strangers.
“Some armed men dressed in military uniform totaling ten in number (two in uniform and the remaining 8 in mufti but all armed) arrived at our residence at Dauda Oriyomi street, Iyana Odo along Joke Ayo in Abule Egba area of Lagos State and took away my husband.
“They refused to state his offence and where they were taken him to despite all the efforts to make them do so,” she had said.
Also, the Publisher of First News, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who confirmed the abduction in a statement, said there had been no trace of Olatunji.
He said his phone line had been switched, neither had anyone reached the family or the management of FirstNews to disclose the reason behind his abduction.
He condemned the manner Olatunji was whisked away, stating that the editor was never invited formally to answer any issue that bothered on national security.
“The management of First News is using this opportunity to call on the military high command and the security agencies to let us know his whereabout and the reason why he was arrested.
“FirstNews (online & print) is a reputable independent digital news network that prides itself on being a frontline media outfit committed to engaging her world-class audience with factual, authentic, and credible information.
“We conduct our journalism activities with strict observance of the high standards of ethics, accountability, professionalism and legality, while exercising our rights to freedom of expression and information, all in a bid to ensure credible reporting of the news behind the news in Politics, Business, Education, Sport, Health, Entertainment and many more.
“If there was any infraction that bothers on national security, Olatunji should have first been formally invited rather that this gestapo style of arrest that reminds of the dark days of the military era, where press freedom was stifled.”
