TO guardian newspaper Reporter Julius Osahon has regained his freedom after five days in captivity by his kidnappers.
Mr. Osahon’s wife, Jessica, confirmed the development on Saturday to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).
She said that Mr. Osahon was on his way to join family in Benin, Edo state.
Ms. Osahon said that her husband had informed her that he had just left the police station in Ughelli after being questioned.
Armed men kidnapped Mr. Osahon on Sunday with other passengers in transit to Ughelli, Delta state. They demanded a ransom of N5 million for his release.
The kidnappers were reportedly angered by the media attention on the journalist’s kidnapping and increased the ransom to N50 million.
It was not clear if a ransom was paid for his release.
The commercial bus in which the journalist and other people were traveling has been recovered and held at the company’s terminal in Yenagoa. The bus has bullet holes all over its body, according to the Nigerian News Agency.
The Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Journalists’ Union of Nigeria (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, condemned the kidnapping of the journalist and other Nigerians.
The chapel in a statement signed by Messrs. Chris Eze and Bassey Willie, president and secretary respectively, called on the federal and state governments to guarantee adequate safety on the roads, especially on the Bayelsa and Delta axes of the East-West Highway. .
“The security situation in our nation becomes worrying on a daily basis, innocent citizens are killed, kidnapped and their valuables are taken by criminals.
“Journalists are not rich men in (the) society, but simply fulfill their duties to contribute to the growth and development of the nation, so we wonder where Mr. Osahon will get the 5 million dollars demanded by the kidnappers to get his freedom back,” he said. declared the chapel. (YAYA)