Security

Where Is Segun Olatunji?

Posted by: Quickresponse | March 24, 2024

Mr. Olusegun Adesola Olatunji, an Editor with the FirstNews, an online news platform, was whisked away by 10 gunmen in the evening of Friday March 15, 2024 from his house at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State.
For the past one week, his whereabouts have been shrouded in mystery. Seven days after he was taken away, it was not clear whether he was arrested or abducted by a lawful security agency.
Olatunji, who will be 56 years old on October 13, this year, having been born in 1968, had served as Kaduna Bureau Chief of The PUNCH
However, the management of the FirstNews has said Olatunji’s arrest or abduction might not be unconnected with two recent news stories, published by FirstNews.
The title of the first story was given as: “Revealed: Defence Chief running office like family business – Public Interest Lawyers”, while the second story was titled: “EXCLUSIVE: How contractor, company stole N100bn, laundered funds for top govt officials – Investigation”, which it said was later pulled down.

Saturday Sun on Friday evening got in touch with the family of Olatunji and his employer to get fresh information on how he was arrested or kidnapped and steps that have been taken to secure his freedom.
Mrs. Abiodun Olatunji, wife of the journalist, told Saturday Sun yesterday that they have been married for 12 years, and the union has been blessed with children.
“Today Friday March 22, 2024 (yesterday), makes it exactly one week that my husband was picked up in our house. Still, we have not heard anything about his whereabouts. We are worried. The children are asking for their father.
“On that fateful day, I was in my shop when I noticed that a power bike was parked very close to my shop. I accosted the rider of the power bike. I asked what he was looking for, because the place is in an estate, and people are not allowed to loiter around. He said he was waiting for somebody and that the person would come and pick him.
“I never knew myself and my husband were the targets. I did not also know that he was not alone. He came with other men too that hid in different places.
“About 5:30pm on Friday March 15, two of them came to my shop. A cream-coloured Toyota Hilux was parked in front of my shop. It was at a time when my husband called me that I should send Internet data to him. He was at home at that time. As i completed sending the data to him, two persons in military camouflage came down from the Hilux and approached me.
“They said they needed my help. They wanted me to dial a mobile phone number for them. They called the number, and as I pressed the number on my phone, it brought out ‘Darling’ which I used to save my husband’s number.

“At that moment, I could not hide the phone again because they were also looking at the screen of my phone. They saw that I saved the number with ‘Darling’.
“Then, they asked me who the person is to me. Without any hesitation, I told them proudly that he is my husband because we have nothing to hide. At that moment, one of them snatched my phone from me.
“The next thing was that they shouted ‘arrest her’. I was shocked, and I exclaimed: ‘Arrest me for what? What did I do? It was at that moment that I knew that the man on the power bike close to my shop was with them. The rest of them also came out from where they hid.
“They asked me to take them to where my husband was at that moment. I said he was not around. Then, they responded by telling me that they knew he was around. They pointed guns at me when I initially refused to take them to our house, where my husband was. One of them even threatened to hit me with the butt of his gun. So, I had to surrender. I have a baby of 18 months that I was feeding when they came.
“Those that came were 10 in number. Two of them wore military camouflage, and the rest eight of them put on jeans and shirts. But they were all fully armed. They did not cover their faces.
“Eventually, I took them to our house at Dauda Oriyomi Street, Iyana Odo, along Joke Ayo in Abule Egba area of Lagos State. We got home around 6p.m.
“On getting there, they called out my husband. He too put up a verbal defence. He demanded to know the barracks that they came from and why they came to arrest him. But they said they were from the Nigerian Army and they only wanted him for interrogation. They said it would not take long time.
“My husband said they should allow him to wear his trousers and a pair of shirt, and they allowed him. So, that was how they whisked my husband away. It was when they were leaving that one of them came to give me my phone.
“They even asked my husband to give me money, which he did. As they were leaving with my husband, I begged them and cried that they should not take him away. One of them only said: ‘Madam, take care of your kids. It’s just a simple thing.’
“I saw one of them who could speak Yoruba. I begged him that they should help me because I don’t want to become a widow now. And he told me that the team only came to carry out an order. He said I should not worry.
“They refused to tell us his offence and where they were taking him to despite all the efforts to get the information. They came in two Hilux vehicles – one cream and the other black. They also brought three power bikes.
“Till date, we have not been eating well, and we have not been sleeping well. I am appealing to those that have been holding my husband to please help my family. They should let him talk to us. They should let us know his whereabouts.
“But I am worried and concerned about the health status of my husband. He has ulcer that we have been managing. Then, the fact that he is asthmatic is worrying me too much. They did not allow him to take his inhaler along. I still saw his inhaler today and I shed tears.
“My husband is a calm person and he does not do any other thing apart from journalism. He is a diligent journalist.”
When contacted, Publisher of FirstNews, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who is the employer of Olatunji, also told Saturday Sun that there has been no trace of Olatunji for the past one week. He added that his phone line has been switched off as well.
“The management of FirstNews is following up. On Thursday March 21, 2024, we wrote a petition to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to assist us find a closure to this matter. With the account narrated by his wife, he must be with one of the three arms of the military, whether the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy or the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
“I cannot say Olatunji was arrested because the whole thing looked like an abduction. For one week, no word from any of the three arms of the military.
“In the petition, we appealed to the Chief of Defence Staff to help us find out if Olatunji is with any of the three arms of the military. Of course, the petition has been well received in the office of the CDS and it was duly acknowledged.
“We are also using this medium to appeal to whoever is holding Olatunji to please, release him. They should communicate to us. His children have been asking questions. The family calls me every day and we don’t know what to tell them again. The management of the organisation that employed him has been doing all it could to know his whereabouts, and the reason why he was arrested or abducted,” Iworiso-Markson said.
Meanwhile, the Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Muyiwa Adejobi, issued a statement on Tuesday this week, stating that the police have commenced investigation into the “abduction” of Olatunji.
He promised that the police would reach out to the military to ascertain if Olatunji is in their custody. He also added that the police authorities would not relent until Olatunji is reunited with his family.
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