Seven armed men yesterday abducted the Imo State correspondent of Channels Television, Tope Kutegi, from his residence. The armed men broke into Kutegi’s residence through a barbwire and electrified fence about 3a.m. They immobilised the security man at the gate leading to the apartments block before proceeding to break the door and window leading to Kutegi’s flat.
While the gunmen seized Kutegi at gunpoint, his neighbour was said to have fled through the back exit. The hoodlums, however, drove Kutegi away in the neighbour’s vehicle. Other neighbours said the hoodlums were heavily armed and left one doublebarrelled pump-action rifle on top of the fence. It was learnt that the kidnappers later demanded N15 million ransom for the release of the journalist.
In a statement, Governor Rochas Okorocha condemned Kutegi’s abduction and described it as unfortunate. The governor said in the statement signed by Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, Kutegi’s abduction must have been a case of mistaken identity. He said: “Those holding the reporter should please release him to re-unite with his family.
A reporter cannot afford to pay any ransom. To some of us, he must have been a victim of mistaken identity. “To us, those behind the kidnapping know why they decided to inconvenience the reporter and his family.
They must have done that to blackmail the state government which has been commended for fighting and reducing cases of kidnapping and criminality in the state to the barest minimum.”