A journalist with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR)—the publisher of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential—Salis Manaja, has reportedly been kidnapped while traveling from Ebonyi State to Kwara State to attend his organisation’s Young Communication Fellowship programme.
Manaja was said to have set out on the trip on Saturday before being abducted at an undisclosed location. His colleagues raised concern on Monday after repeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.
According to reports shared on social media, the journalist’s phone had been unreachable, prompting widespread alarm among his associates.
One of his colleagues, Abdulrasheed Kofa, appealed for prayers in a Facebook post, describing Manaja as a hardworking and dedicated journalist.
“Please pray for our colleague, M. Salis, who was kidnapped on his way to Ilorin. He is a committed multimedia journalist with PRNigeria. May Almighty Allah protect him and give his family strength during this difficult time,” Kofa wrote.
Another associate, Nuhu Masa, also confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, saying all efforts to reach the victim had failed.
“Our brother and colleague, Salis Muhammad Manaja, a multimedia journalist with PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, has been abducted by gunmen on his way to Ilorin. Every attempt to reach him has been futile. Please keep him in your prayers,” Masa wrote.
Human rights advocate and anti-corruption activist Umar Umar expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as “devastating and unacceptable.”
“This is another painful reminder of the worsening insecurity in our country, where even innocent citizens are no longer safe on our highways. I urge the authorities to ensure his prompt and safe release. Security is not a privilege—it is a right,” he stated.
A security analyst, Zagazola Makama, revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the kidnappers had contacted the victim’s family to demand ransom.
“A source close to the family confirmed that the abductors have reached out and demanded ransom for his release. The specific location of the abduction, however, remains unclear,” Makama wrote.
Attempts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, for comments were unsuccessful, as calls to his line went unanswered. Messages sent to him and to PRNigeria’s official contact number also received no reply at the time of filing this report.
This incident adds to the growing number of abductions targeting travellers on major Nigerian roads.
In December 2024, Gregory Maduakolam, an Assistant Editor-in-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was kidnapped and later freed after several days in captivity.
Reporter’s Note:
Dayo Oyewo, a sociology graduate, reports on crime and city issues for The PUNCH’s Metro Desk.
