Lagos Action Congress urges kidnappers to release the four journalists

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress has called on the kidnappers in Abia State, South East Nigeria to throw open the gates of their gulag and allow the journalists they seized two days ago to go home to their wives and children as a matter of urgency.

In a statement signed by the Lagos State AC Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe on Tuesday July 13, 2010 the Party said it is unthinkable, unbelievable, unimaginable and totally unacceptable for journalists that have been fighting for the common people since the years of the locusts to become preys to the same people they have defended come rain, come sunshine.

“We condemn this assault in the strongest terms and ask the people involved in this heinous crime to have a rethink. Kidnapping is a monumental crime and those who engage themselves in this kind of illicit trade know the implications of what they are doing and the effect on our weak economy”

“given the tragedy that have struck journalists in Nigeria in recent times where breadwinners have been murdered in the cause of discharging their legitimate duties, adding kidnapping to it is a new dangerous dimension to the war against journalists and this is the time for all and sundry to wake up to deal with this scourge”

“The issue of security should be on the front burner of any responsible and responsive government and what is required in a fragile country like ours is to invest heavily in security. We therefore urge the central government to use every means possible to deal with this challenge”

The Party said: “Investors especially foreigners will find it difficult if not impossible to put their money here if security of lives and property cannot be guaranteed”