Nigeria: CFWIJ condemns the abduction of journalist Amra Ahmed Diska

May 6, 2021, Yola – Journalist Amra Ahmed Diska was abducted from her home in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State. The journalist was kidnapped by a home raid early Tuesday. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the abduction of Amra. We demand the Nigerian authorities take action for the journalist's immediate release.

Journalist Amra Ahmed Diska, a News Editor at Adamawa Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Yola in the Mbamba community, was abducted from her home. Reportedly, the attackers who raided the journalist's home left her six-month-old baby and took her by force.

According to the Daily Trust, although the kidnappers seemed to target her husband, Amra was abducted when they could not find him. 

"It seems that the gunmen came to kidnap the journalist's husband. But they decided to kidnap the nursing mother because they did not meet her," the newspaper reported. 

DSP Süleyman Nguroje, the spokesperson for Adamawa State Police Command, confirmed the incident that the journalist was taken from her home in Mbamba between 01:00 and 02:00.

He said police officers were sent to track down the kidnappers and added that he had full confidence to rescue the journalist. The kidnappers have not yet demanded any ransom about Amra.

Speaking to CFWIJ about women journalists kidnapped in the country, journalist Irene Ubani said, “Kidnapping/abduction in this part of the country has become an abysmal situation and unfortunately there has been a surge in the state of insecurity.” “Rightly so, kidnappers wouldn’t mind taking an unintended target in a case they don’t find the person they come for so that in any case they don’t lose on both ends,” she concluded. 

On February 11, Chidiebere Onyia, a reporter with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was also abducted at gunpoint at night as she returned home from work. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns these repeated attacks on the journalist community in Nigeria. Journalists undertake great risks to speak truth to power, thus their governments should guarantee their safety to have a thriving, democratic society.