Gunmen have allegedly kidnapped a former chairman of the federated chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa Council, Julius Osahon and several others.

Mr Osahon is The Guardian Correspondent in Bayelsa.

A source said the journalist and others numbering about 17, were kidnapped on Monday evening in Ewreni community on the East-West Road in Ughelli North LGA.

The source added that the gunmen also shot the driver of the vehicle in which the journalists and the other kidnapped people were travelling.

“The gunmen have reportedly established contact with the journalist’s wife and are demanding N5 million ransom for his release,” the source concluded.

Meanwhile, a survivor of the attack, Lucky Egboyi, told journalists in Warri that they were returning from Bayelsa when they ran into the gunmen operating on the road.

According to Mr Egboyi, a Warri-based lawyer, the hoodlums allegedly shot the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling and kidnapped several passengers.

“It was a narrow escape for me and a few others because we had to run into the bush,” he said.

When contacted for confirmation, the spokesperson for Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe, said, “I will get back to you” 

(NAN)