It was a rare protest embarked upon by the Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council demanding for the immediate and safe return of one of its members Mr. Tordue Salem. Mr Tordue Salem, a reporter with Vanguard Newspaper, attached to cover activities of the Nigerian National Assembly went missing on October 14, 2021 shortly after closing for the day. Efforts by family members, friends and colleagues to reach him proved abortive as his whereabout is yet to be known. Armed with placards and banners bearing different inscriptions, as Journalism is not a crime, Free Salem Now among others, the FCT pen professionals led by the Chairman, Emmanuel Ogbeche commenced a peaceful protest from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to Louis Edet House, the headquarters of the Nigerian Police to express its grievances to the Inspector General of Police. Presenting the union’s demands to the top echelon of the Nigerian Police, Comrade Ogbeche described the incessant attack of journalists by law enforcement officers and the sudden disappearance of the Vanguard reporter as ridiculous. He however, urged the Police and the Nigerian Government to do everything within its power to ensure journalists safety at all times. Receiving the petition on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank MBA assured the union that they are on top of the situation as they are presently unraveling the mystery surrounding the sudden disappearance of the journalist. Tordue Salem, according to report was said to have gone to a garden close to the Police headquarters in Abuja and has since then been missing.
