Unknown gunmen kidnap chief press secretary to Taraba State Governor

Hassan Mijinyawa, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

Hassan was reportedly whisked away this morning while on his way to Gembu, along Bali-Gashaka axis of the road, to join the Governor who is on a campaign tour of the area.

David Akinremi, Commissioner of Taraba Police Command, confirmed the incident, stating that "personnel have been deployed to the area to commence search and rescue of the victims". Haruna Manu, Deputy Governor of Taraba State, also confirmed the incident to newsmen in Jalingo, the state capital.

Manu said contact had not been established with the abductors, and urged the public to pray for the safe release of Hassan and other victims. Hajiya Sekina Mijinyawa, wife of the abducted CPS, also confirmed the incident to newsmen, saying: "My husband left home for Gembu in Sardauna Local Government area at about 7am this morning only for him to be kidnapped on the way."

She, however, appealed to the kidnappers to have mercy on her husband and release him unhurt. Yusuf Garba, a witness who narrowly escaped, said some government officials and a foreign national were among the victims. He also said the foreigner, who was an aid worker, was heading to a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the area.

Garba narrated how the kidnappers operated for several hours unhindered and finally led their victims into a nearby forest after dispossessing them of their personal effects.

Comments

Female journalist shot dead while covering a riot in Londonderry, Ireland

A female journalist has been shot dead while covering a riot in Londonderry, Ireland. Lyra McKee, 29, is believed to have been hit by a stray bullet after a gunman opened fire indiscriminately at around 11pm. Shortly before she was killed, Ms McKee, who was covering the riots, had posted an image from the scene of the riots on Twitter. She captioned it: "Derry tonight. Absolute madness." Shocking footage posted to social media shows a gunman in a mask taking cover near the rioters before firing two shots. Seconds later screams are heard coming from the other end of the road. Police revealed this morning that it believes the New IRA was "most likely" behind McKee's killing, calling Ms McKee a "completely innocent bystander. " Assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton described the killing as "not only a murder of a young woman, it is an attack again on the people of this city." Friends who are mourning McKee de

N8.5bn fraud: Witness tells court how former JTF boss, Emmanuel Atewe gave N35m to Winners’ Chapel

A witness in the trial of retired Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe , has told the court how the former military personnel gifted N35m to the Living Faith Church , popularly known as Winners’ Chapel . Atewe who served as the Commander of the military Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, in the Niger Delta before his retirement, is standing trial for allegedly diverting N8.5 billion between September 2014 and May 2015. Atewe is standing trial alongside a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi; Kime Engozu, Josephine Otuaga and six companies namely Jagan Ltd; Jagan Trading Company Ltd; Jagan Global Services Ltd; Al-Nald Ltd; Paper Warehouse Ltd; Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd. The trial witness, Nkem Ahidjo , told the court yesterday that himself and Atewe met in Abuja some years ago where they worshipped at the Aso villa church. He said he

Flood displaces 150,000 in South Sudan

At least 150,000 people have been uprooted from their homes due to heavy flooding in the eastern Jonglei state in South Sudan, local authorities said on Friday. Gabriel Deng Ajak, state director for Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, said thousands of people have been displaced in most parts of Jonglei region, which has also been experiencing inter-communal violence since July. “It is terrible. People have been displaced in Bor town, Twic East due to flooding. The population in the Jonglei region in the places of Bor, Twic East, Duk and Ayod is about 150,000 people,” Ajak told Xinhua by phone from Bor. He said the water level has risen by 1.5 meters following heavy rainfall since July. Inter-communal violence has affected 400,000 people in the region prior to flooding, Ajak said. “We urge the national government and the aid agencies to help our people from this bad situation,” he said. United Nations agencies said last year that an estimated 900

Startech Safety And Security News Blog

Search This Blog