Missing Vanguard Reporter, Tordue Salem, Found Dead

*Lawan, Omo-Agege, FCT Minister, Ortom, NUJ mourn

Deji Elumoye , Kingsley Nwezeh and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Vanguard Newspaper reporter, Tordue Salem, who disappeared on October 13, 2021, without any trail of his whereabouts was found dead on Thursday night.

This is as the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), North-Central have expressed shock and sadness over the death of Salem.

It was learnt that the Federal House of Representatives correspondent was last seen around Total Filling Station, close to the Force headquarters, Abuja.

Salem’s sudden disappearance prompted a massive search for his whereabouts.
The Nigeria Police yesterday said that the missing Vanguard Newspaper reporter, Henry Salem Tordue, was killed by a hit-and-run driver at the Mabushi District Highway in Abuja.

Parading the driver of Toyota Camry car with registration number BWR 243 BK, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, a Commissioner of Police, said that Intelligence Response Team of the police, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, finally traced the corpse of the reporter to the morgue of the Wuse General Hospital and was identified by the family.

The suspect, a 29-year-old commercial driver, Itoro Clement, was paraded yesterday in Abuja.
He said three identity cards comprising that of the National Assembly, Nigerian Union of Journalists and Vanguard Newspaper along with two ATM cards were found on his body.
Speaking on the incident, the driver told journalists that the deceased was crossing the road when he was hit by the vehicle.

He said the area in the Mabushi was notorious for armed robbery activities.
There were, however, gaps in the police narrative as there was no mention of who picked the corpse and who deposited it at Wuse Hospital.

The driver stated that after he hit him, he was in a panic and reported to a police checkpoint nearby where he was advised to report to Wuse Police Station but he never did.

The late journalist was missing for one month before the body was found.
Reacting to the development, Lawan said the concern of the National Assembly, when the Senate and the House of Representatives passed separate motions over the disappearance of Salem, was that he would be quickly found and reunited hale and hearty with his family and colleagues.

“It is therefore shocking to hear that the journalist had all the while been killed by a hit and run driver in an accident.
“This is a very unfortunate and heart-rending development,” Lawan said.

The Senate President also condolence with the family of Salem, the management of Vanguard Newspapers, the National Assembly Press Corps and the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) over this sad loss.

He prayed God to comfort all the loved ones of the departed and grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
On his part, Omo-Agege charged the Nigerian Police and other security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing of Salem.

Omo-Agege in a release yesterday, expressed regret over the unfortunate incident and emphasised the need for conclusive investigations that will unmask all those involved in the journalist’s death.

The story making the rounds that one Itoro Clement – a commercial driver who allegedly knocked down and killed the journalist – has raised further questions on the circumstances leading to his demise.

The ranking Senator noted that providing the missing puzzle is the only way to bring the matter to a close adding that anything short of this would add to the list of unresolved murders of journalists carrying out their constitutional duties.

The DEVON the release stated, inter alia: “The news of the killing of Mr. Tordue Henry Salem came to me as a rude shock, especially as it came barely 48-hours after the Senate and House of Representatives passed separate resolutions tasking security agencies to intensify efforts to find him and reunite him with his family.

“I am particularly worried that this is happening at the heart of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Reports abound of kidnappings and other security breaches in the nation’s capital.

“While we await further briefing from the police on who deposited Tordue’s corpse in the morgue and when it was deposited, the sad development has added to the list of unresolved killings of journalists like Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine; Godwin Agbroko of ThisDay; Bagauda Kaltho of (The News); Bayo Ohu (The Guardian); Edo Sule Ugbagwu (The Nation) and Abayomi Ogundeji (ThisDay), who were all murdered in the course of discharging their constitutional duties.

“I extend my condolences to the family, friends and associates of the deceased, the government and people of Benue State, the Vanguard family, House of Representatives Press Corps, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and pray God to give them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

Governor Ortom in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nat Ikyur, expressed pain that a Benue son would suddenly disappear only to be found dead by unidentified persons in an undisclosed location in Abuja.

In a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the FCT Minister, Anthony Ogunleye, Bello prayed that God grants his family comfort at this difficult period.

He also expressed his condolences to the management of Vanguard Newspapers and the FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The minister also commended the FCT Police Force Intelligence Bureau for its efforts in unravelling the circumstances leading to the demise of the journalist while he enjoined members of the public to promptly report all suspected criminal matters to the security agencies.

He also assured residents of the FCT of the Administration’s commitment to ensure the safety of all lives and property within the nation’s capital.

The NUJ Vice President, North-Central, Chris Atsaka and Zonal Secretary Abdul Aji, in a statement said the security agencies in the country should investigate further the circumstances of Salem’s death as the claim of a hit and run driver version, coming almost a month after his disappearance and eventual discovery of his corpse at an Abuja hospital has not revealed enough.

The leadership of Zone D regretted that despite the early alarm raised by the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche and members in the wake of Salem’s disappearance with series of follow up actions including a world press conference and a peaceful protest march to the Force Headquarters to present a formal protest letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, yet the discovery almost belatedly is not palatable.

In this wise, NUJ North-Central called for a more diligent investigation to satisfy beyond reasonable doubt that the hit and run driver version was anything to go by.

Consequently, the Zonal Vice President and Secretary sympathised with the late Salem’s family, Vanguard Newspaper, NUJ FCT Council, National President of NUJ, Chris Isiguzo and all journalists as well as associates and friends of the dead journalist.

Furthermore, the zonal leadership called on security agencies for total protection of Salem’s widow and daughter from any harm.