International Press Centre Calls for Immediate Rescue of Abducted Channels TV Reporter

Rogers was abducted from his residence in Rumuosi, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, around 9 pm by unknown gunmen.

The centre said he was returning from an official assignment at the government house when he was accosted by the kidnappers and taken away with a Channels Television-branded car.

After taking him away, the kidnappers reached out to his wife to demand a ransom of N30 million.

"IPC's Centre for the Safety and Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ), Lagos-Nigeria, is calling for a concerted effort towards the immediate release of Channels TV reporter, Joshua Rogers, who was whisked away to an unknown place by gunmen around 9 p.m on Thursday, April 11, 2024, close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port-Harcourt," the centre said.

"Information reaching I-CSPJ reveals that 'Joshua Rogers was driving his official Channels Television-branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle'.

"Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.

"Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for his release, the report revealed.

"IPC Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, said: 'The spate of insecurity in the country should be of serious concern to all, adding that it is very disturbing that journalists and media practitioners have also become easy targets'.

"I-CSPJ enjoins the Rivers State Government and relevant security agencies to do all they can to ensure that Joshua Rogers is set free without being harmed in any way."

Rogers' abduction occurred nearly two weeks after the release of Segun Olatunji, FirstNews Editor, who was taken from his home by armed men and detained in an underground military cell for two weeks.