Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Ohuhu Welfare Union (OWU), yesterday, separately called for the quick release of their member and son, Mr. Chuks Onuoha, who was abducted on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at about 10:45 pm by gunmen in his Umungasi Ohuhu country home in Umuahia North Local Council and has since been held captive at an unknown place.

It was gathered that his abductors demanded N10 million ransom for his release but later reduced it to two million.

In a press statement, titled, ‘Abia NUJ Appeals For The Quick Release Of Onuoha Unharmed,” signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Victor Ndukwe and Mrs. Adaeze Ralph- Igbokwe, the union stated: “The council received, with great shock and sadness, the unfortunate abduction of Onuoha by gunmen.

“This ugly development has left the council at a loss as to why kidnappers would pick on a poor journalist, whose only wealth is the byline he gets in the media, which has no attachment to any fat bank account.

“The council fears that journalists are fast becoming endangered species in the state as this is the third of such ugly story.

“Without conceding that Mr. Onuoha may have offended anyone in the course of discharging his journalistic functions, resorting to jungle justice or taking the law into one’s hands is never the way to go, it is an ignoble act in this age and era of civilisation. The law courts are there. Or, better still, any person aggrieved by any perceived professional misconduct of a journalist is encouraged to report the journalist to the union, which would apply its constitutionally approved correctional method and measures in handling such issues.

“We, hereby, appeal to his abductors to quickly release him unharmed to enable him to reunite with his agonising family.”

“We also call on all security agencies in the state to swiftly swing into action to secure the release of Onuoha, even as the council urges the government to deploy all its security apparatchik for the rescue of Onuoha and to institute water-tight security measures that would eradicate the menace of kidnapping which seems to be resurging in the state.”