Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews online newspaper, has bravely shared his harrowing experience while in captivity after being abducted by gunmen in military uniform....CONTINUE READING
The terrifying incident unfolded on March 15, 2024 when armed assailants stormed Olatunji’s residence in the Iyana Odo area of Abule Egba, Lagos State, and forcibly abducted him.
Recounting his ordeal during a press briefing organized by the leaderships of Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists and International Press Institute shortly after his release, Olatunji revealed shocking details of his captivity.
“At first, they put me in a cell. There I was left with leg and hand cuffs. And at a point, one of the officers came and tightened the right leg and the right hand, and I was there groaning in pain,” Olatunji shared, describing the agonizing moments he endured.
“They didn’t loosen it until about two or three days after. And at that time, the whole part of my body was getting node. In fact, up till now, I can still feel the pains,” he said.
Throughout his detention, Olatunji said he was subjected to interrogation, with his captors questioning him about certain stories published by FirstNews.
“While in detention, they were asking me questions about certain stories that FirstNews had carried,” he revealed.
“They first told me that I was one of those abusing the Chief of Defence Intelligence. Then they also asked about a story we carried about the Chief of Staff to the president, and that was a major thing.”
Expressing his belief that those responsible for his abduction are closely linked to the corridors of power, Olatunji asserted, “Those behind my arrest are people behind the corridors of power, who are not happy with what FirstNews is doing, and are bent on taking their own pound of flesh.”
