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Four journalists held hostage in Niger delta region

Reporters Without Borders is extremely concerned about the abduction of four journalists - Wahab Obba, the head of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Lagos state, Adolphus Okonkwo of Voice of Nigeria, Sylvester Okere of The Champion Newspapers, and Sola Oyeyipo, another Lagos-based journalist - on 11 June near Aba, in the southeastern state of Abia.

They had been attending a Nigeria Union of Journalists conference in the neighbouring state of Akwa Ibom and were heading back to Lagos when their official NUJ bus was intercepted by gunmen.

"We call for the immediate release of these journalists, who were kidnapped at gunpoint after attending a working meeting," Reporters Without Borders said. "We also urge the Nigerian authorities to do their utmost to establish where they are being held hostage and to negotiate a rapid and favourable outcome with their abductors."

Several journalists managed to flee when the gunmen intercepted and hijacked the NUJ bus in Abia on the morning of 11 July, but not the four who were taken hostage.

NUJ president Mohammed Garba, who received a phone call from one of the hostages, said the kidnappers were demanding a ransom of more than a million dollars for their release. The police are investigating.

Topics: Disappeared persons, Freedom of speech, Freedom of information, Freedom of expression,