On March 2, 2018, Mr. Ngozi Blessed Onwukwe, a blogger and publisher of AbaCityblog.com, was abducted by unknown gunmen in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Ngozi was reportedly on his way to cover an event in Arochukwu when he was waylaid and abducted by a gang of four men in a Toyota Sienna car on Ikot Ekpene Road in Umuahia.
He was reportedly waiting for a taxi when the abductors’ car blocked him and two heavily built young men alighted, bundled him into the vehicle and drove away.
He has been unreachable as his phones have been switched off and the abductors are yet to contact his family.
The Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (OMPN), Abia State branch, while condemning the abduction, called on security agencies in the state to ensure Ngozi’s release.
In a statement signed by Emenike Iroegwu, OMPN Secretary, the group also called on the Federal Government to guarantee the safety of journalists and ensure that democracy and freedom of information are sustained in the country.
