The State Security Services and The police in Akwa ibom state has deny the allegation place upon them that they don’t know the whereabouts of the journalist. Speaking in Akwa Ibom the Armed men, suspected to be government operatives, on Tuesday seized a senior editor of a popular Uyo-based newspaper widely regarded for its critical views of the Akwa Ibom State government. A member of the Nigerian State Security Service Mr. Thomas was riding in a Keke tricycle when he was attacked by the plain-clothed men.
Eye witness said the editor attempted to escape after apparently realizing the tricycle was being trailed by a car. But as Mr. Thomas made to run, the witness said, three men emerged from a Toyota Corolla and chased down the fleeing editor, promptly handcuffed and forced him into the waiting car.
The attackers then drew their pistols as passers-by, drawn by the chaos, offered to help the abducted man. Mr. Thomas was later whisked away to an unknown destination.
No one has made contact with his family or office since the attack, the chairman of the paper’s editorial board said. Mr. Equere said neither the management of Global Concord nor members of his family have been contacted or know the whereabouts of the editor, since Monday.
All government security agencies in the state have also denied having the seized editor in their custody. The state Police Public Relation Officer, Dickson Etim, said Mr. Thomas was not with the police.
The director of the State Security Service, SSS, for Akwa Ibom, Tomas Minti, equally denied knowledge of the whereabout of the editor. Mr. Equere, however, said that sources close to the SSS told Global Concord that Mr. Thomas was with the security operatives. The independently owned Global Concord newspaper is regarded as one of the most critical of the state government, and has reported on alleged government corruption and misspending of public funds.
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