The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, expressed his happiness over the safe release of two journalists from Kaduna, AbdulGafar Alabelewe and AbdulRaheem Aodu, who had been abducted from their homes on the outskirts of Kaduna the previous weekend.
Along with the journalists, Alabelewe’s wife and two children were also freed. In an official statement, Rabiu Ibrahim, the Special Assistant on Media to the minister, announced that Idris received Alabelewe from Thepaan from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The minister praised the NSA and security agencies for their quick and efficient action in rescuing the victims. “We are extremely thankful for your efforts. We understand that this is part of your ongoing mission to ensure that all kidnapped individuals are rescued and reunited with their families safely. “I want to encourage Nigerians to continue to trust in the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our security agencies.
“The security forces, under the guidance of the NSA, are working tirelessly to free all those who have been unlawfully detained without paying any ransom,” he said. He also expressed his sympathy to the families of the two journalists for what they had endured.
Earlier, the NSA explained that the five victims were rescued thanks to a coordinated effort by various security agencies, which led to a swift search and rescue operation. One of the rescued journalists, Alabelewe, expressed his gratitude to the NSA and his team for their prompt action.
“The rescue mission that brought us out of the bush yesterday restored our faith in our country and gave us confidence that the government is serious about addressing this issue of kidnapping. I never imagined that we would be freed within a week of our abduction. “We are thankful that the government acted swiftly to ensure our release,” he said.
