Chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Lagos chapter, Ambassador Olatutu Oladunni and the entire executive team have hailed Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa and also applauded the outstanding role the Nigerian military played in the rescue of sports journalists kidnapped recently in Ihiala -orlu road Anambra state on the eve of Nigeria versus Libya AFCON qualifying match played in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The rapid rescue team were coordinated under the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division in Enugu state, headed by Major General H. P Dada, who was able to give a swift order of rescue for the overwhelming operations which was spare headed by Nigerian Army 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support) Onitsha, under the leadership of Brig. General U.A. Lawal and a joint significant support force from 34 Artillery Brigade Owerri, supporting 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support) with huge logistics of over 50 army personnel fully armed with about(4) four armoured vehicles to rescue the journalists who have been attacked by suspected IPOB members.
Mr Kola Omoniyi, who was the eldest among the journalists, on an official assignment for Afro Sports, was reported to have been hit by bullets from members of the IPOB. Omoniyi lost his life in the process. The IPOB kidnapped the media crew who were travelling on a coastal bus and made them pay some ransom running into some millions, and also collected available money in their hands while in the bush.
However, luck ran out for the evil attackers when the military was able to track their location with their device and swung into action to rescue seven members of the crew after four of them had fled into the bush during the attack. A police officer alongside the driver and the journalist had died through gunshots from the IPOB members. The military was able to rescue the journalists in the bush and also exhumed the body of the journalist (Kola Omoniyi) whom the IPOB members had earlier buried in a shallow grave amidst the attack.
The rescued team immediately came with their ambulance to save the lives of those rescued as they were critically injured. The army officers handed them over to their medical team and had already taken the body of the deceased journalist to the mortuary.
Lagos SWAN Chairman, Oladunni has been in constant communication with the Military, head of the operations and the NPF as they rescued journalists to ensure that they are safe and returned safely to Lagos.
Two out of the four crew members who jumped inside the bush before the arrival of the security forces during the attack survived with the help of the military as they were able to track their location. They have since returned to Lagos.
The military forces confirmed that one of the journalists, Abdul Quadri Amao is still nowhere to be found as the operations team in the Artillery Regiment and 34 Artillery Brigade disclosed that his location was about 500 radius away to their base and they have been in the lookout for him in the bush in the past two days, but he is yet to be found.
“Our prayer is with Mr Quadri Amao that the good Lord help the military forces rescue him,”
Oladunni said. “We commend the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Joint Security Forces of the Nigerian military, Nigeria Police Force, Lagos SWAN Executive Committee Members and Arise Television for the collaborative effort to save these noble men.
She stated further that “We want to call on AFRO SPORTS, to please do the needful by ensuring a well-deserved compensation package is released to all the media crew involved and most especially to the family of the late Kola Omoniyi who was regarded as an expertise and one of the best professional camera operators Nigeria ever produced.
“On behalf of my humble self, the executive members and the entire Lagos SWAN members, we commiserate with the family of the deceased journalist, the police officer and the driver who all lost their lives. And we thanked God for the others who were rescued.
Meanwhile, Lagos SWAN is also full of gratitude to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and his team for the role played in the rescue of the journalists. Though devastating the news of the incident might be, the Lagos SWAN believes the response by the security forces minimized the collateral damage of the evil action of the IPOB members.
“It is important we express gratitude to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and the Nigerian Military, for the kind spirit and support they have shown in the swift response to call and rescue of the kidnapped media team,” Oladunni said.
Below are the names of the media crew rescued by the military and the security forces.
1. Kola Omoniyi (shot and died during the attack)
2. Chike Awogu – camera operator
3. Solomon – Afro Sports Staff
4.Buchi Albert – camera operator
5. Everett Emmanuel – camera operator
6. Ominiyi Abiodun
7. Idoko Godwin – Director
8. Oliseh – camera operator
9. Precious – camera operator
10. Austin Erelu – Floor manager
11. Abdul Quadri (Not yet found) a vision control operator
12. Unnamed crew
13. Driver (shot and died during the attack)
14. Clement (mobile Policeman shot and died during the attack)
15. Police (saved alongside the other crew members).
Signed: 1. Olatutu Oladunni, Chairman, Lagos SWAN
2. Omotunde Bello, Secretary, Lagos SWAN
3. Taiwo Adelu, Assistant Secretary, Lagos SWAN
