Gunmen have abducted a group of sports journalists traveling from Anambra State to Uyo, Akwa Ibom, for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Nigeria and Libya.
The journalists were abducted on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, while en route to cover the much-anticipated football match.
The gunmen intercepted the journalists’ vehicle along the route and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
The victims were part of the media crew travelling to provide coverage for the Super Eagles’ AFCON match scheduled in Uyo.
Following the abduction, a joint security operation was launched to rescue the journalists.
Meanwhile, six members of the group have been successfully rescued by security operatives on Thursday .
Confirming their release, the spokesman of Anambra Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga said, “Joint security forces have successfully rescued six members of the media crew who were abducted while travelling from Lagos to Uyo along Isseke-Orlu Road in Ihiala.”
“Ikenga added that “operations are still ongoing for the possible rescue of the seventh crew member.”
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of journalists and travellers in the region, especially ahead of high-profile events like the AFCON qualifiers.