Mrs Priestba Anthony Nwokocha, a journalist, has been kidnapped in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by gunmen who are thought to be kidnappers.
In the early hours of Friday, July 21, 2023, while she was returning from work, Priestba, a director of news at the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC), was kidnapped along the Slaughter/YKC route in Port Harcourt.
Her automobile reportedly broke down on the highway, so she called her husband, who then showed up with a mechanic to fix the car.
Right in front of her husband and the mechanic, the gunmen arrived and took her away.
The State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Grace Irengi-Koko, confirmed the event in a statement on Saturday and said the Commissioner, CP Nwonyi Emeka Polycarp, has directed a probe into the journalist’s kidnapping.
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“The CP has mandated tactical teams to ensure she regains her freedom and is reunited with her family members,” the statement read.
The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the kidnapping of a member of their organization and urged the security services to ensure her prompt release.
The act was referred to as inhuman, evil, and callous, especially towards a journalist working for the betterment of society, according to a statement jointly signed by Stanley Job Stanley, Chairman, NUJ Rivers State Council, and Ike Wigodo, the Secretary.
The statement thus requested the state’s security services to guarantee Mrs Nwokocha’s unconditional rescue so she may get back together with them and carry on serving society.
In order to act as a deterrence to other criminals in the state, the Union further ordered the security services to ensure the apprehension of Nwokocha’s kidnappers and bring them to justice.
The statement praised CP Nwonyi, the state’s commissioner of police, for enhancing security during the previous three months and urged him to keep up the good work.
