The Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has vehemently condemned the alleged abduction of its member, Seun Odunlami, by operatives of the Nigeria Police, Lagos Command.

In a statement released by the council’s Secretary, Bunmi Adigun, on Thursday in Abeokuta, the NUJ expressed deep shock and outrage over the incident. Reports indicate that Odunlami was forcibly taken by plain-clothed officers in an unmarked vehicle on Wednesday, just a short distance from the union’s secretariat after he had left Providus Bank in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.

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Eyewitnesses recounted that Odunlami was handcuffed and compelled into the vehicle, after which he became unreachable, with his phones switched off. The NUJ condemned this act as unlawful, likening it to “Gestapo tactics.”

The statement called for Odunlami’s immediate and unconditional release, demanding clarity on the circumstances surrounding his abduction and a thorough investigation into the actions of the police officers involved. The NUJ insisted that any evidence of misconduct must be disclosed, asserting that this “commando-like arrest” threatens the fundamental rights of journalists in Nigeria.