One of the journalists rescued from a terrorist den by Nigerian security operatives, Abdulgafar Alabelewe of The Nation Newspaper, expressed his relief and gratitude yesterday.
Alabelewe and Abdulraheem Aodu of the Blueprint Newspaper, along with their family members, were abducted from their separate homes in Kaduna last week.
In a statement issued by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alabelewe thanked the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and his team for their swift intervention.
“The rescue mission, which brought us out of the bush yesterday, gave us hope in our country and gave us confidence to believe that the government is serious about tackling this problem of kidnapping. I never thought that within a week of our kidnap, we could get out,” Alabelewe said. “We are grateful that the government swung into action and ensured that we were released.”
Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, welcomed the release of the two journalists. Speaking when he received Alabelewe and Aodu from the NSA, Mallam Ribadu, the minister commended the security agencies for the speedy rescue.
The two journalists were released along with Alabelewe’s wife and two children. The minister expressed sympathy to the families and told the NSA, “We are most grateful for what you have done. We are aware that this is part of your ongoing effort to ensure that all kidnapped victims are rescued alive and reunited with their families.”
“I want to urge Nigerians to keep faith with the current administration of President Bola Tinubu and our security agencies. The security agencies, under the coordination of the NSA, are working tirelessly to ensure that all those who have been taken into unlawful custody are freed without paying any ransom,” Idris added.
The NSA, speaking earlier, explained that the five victims were rescued following a combined effort of security agencies, leading to a successful search and rescue operation.
The journalists are expected to be reunited with their relatives and colleagues in Kaduna soon.
