Journalists commence fund-raising for abducted colleague in Kaduna as bandits insist on N500m
Umar Iyale abducted by bandits
IDIBIA GABRIEL, KADUNA
Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna State Council members have commenced individual contribution of money towards the N500 million ransom demanded by bandits that abducted their colleague, Mal. Umar Uaman Iyale, a retired photojournalist from AIT and NTA.
Armed bandits had reportedly demanded for N500 millions ransom as condition before releasing their abducted colleague veteran photojournalist, Mal. Umar Usman Iyale who was kidnapped along with others in Kaduna state.
The victim was kidnapped from his residence along with several others in a community popularly known as Danhonu II in Millennium City, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, last week.
The victim, Umar Iyale reportedly spoke to leader of the NUJ in a long conversation via his phone from bandits’ captivity, appealing for whatever members could raise together with his family to meet the N500m random demanded by the terror group.
According to the Union sources, one of the abductees in bandits’ captivity has already been killed for inability to makeup to total amount of ransom demanded from family after he had already paid N30 million, stirring fears of security of Iyale.
Umar Iyale who spoke to the Union leader on phone said, “This people (the Bandits) say we should bring N500 millions as ransom. Anything you people can contribute to help me I will be grateful”.
Meanwhile, inhabitance of Millennium community located within the radius where two journalists and their families were abducted previously but were later released, have expressed fears of safety and security of their lives, appealing to state government to intervene.
Both journalists and the family of the abducted photojournalists are running around to contribute money to settle the amount of ransom demanded as at the time of filing this report.
