I never imagined being freed within a week – Abducted journalist Abdulgafar

Abdulgafar Alabelewe, the correspondent for The Nation Newspaper in Kaduna, who was recently rescued by Nigerian security operatives, expressed his gratitude on Sunday, stating he never thought he would breathe the air of freedom within a week.

Alabelewe, along with Abdulraheem Aodu of the Blueprint Newspaper and their family members, were abducted from their separate homes in Kaduna last week.

In a statement by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alabelewe thanked National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and his team for their swift intervention.

He mentioned that the rescue mission on Saturday gave them hope in the country and confidence in the government’s commitment to addressing the kidnapping problem. He emphasized that he never thought they would be rescued within a week.

“We are grateful that the government swung into action and ensured that we were released,” Alabelewe said.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also welcomed the release of the two Kaduna-based journalists, who were abducted from their homes on the outskirts of Kaduna over the weekend.