By EDEKI IGAFE

Suspected hoodlums have allegedly abducted a former Chairman of the Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa Council, Mr Julius Osahon, and several others.

Osahon is The Guardian Correspondent in Bayelsa.

A source said that the journalist and the other kidnapped people, numbering about 17, were kidnapped on Monday evening in Ewreni community on the East-West Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta.

The source added that the gunmen also shot the driver of the vehicle in which the journalists and the other kidnapped people were travelling.

“The gunmen have reportedly established contact with the journalist’s wife and are demanding N5 million ransom for his release,” the source concluded.

Meanwhile, a survivor of the attack, Mr Lucky Egboyi, told journalists in Warri that they were returning from Bayelsa when they ran into the hoodlums who were operating on the road.

According to Egboyi, a Warri-based lawyer, the hoodlums allegedly shot the driver of the vehicle in which they travelling and kidnapped several passengers.

“It was a narrow escape for me and a few others because we had to run into the bush,” he said.

When the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) contacted the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta Command, DSP Bright Edafe, for confirmation, he simply said “I will get back to you.” (NAN)