The International Press Centre, IPC, Lagos-Nigeria has expressed extreme sadness over the death of Vanguard journalist, Tordue Henry Salem, who went missing on October 13, 2021.
Vanguard Newspapers has confirmed that the body of Salem who covered the House of Representatives was found in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said in a statement that, “This is another dark chapter in the history of journalism in Nigeria and we cannot but be very saddened by the death of yet another journalist”,
Mr. Arogundade said further: “From trepidation over his fate after his mysterious disappearance, we have now moved to a state of shock, despair and mourning following the discovery of his dead body”.
According to the Executive Director, IPC is in the very unfortunate circumstance, calling on the Nigeria Police and other intelligence agencies not to relent in the efforts to find the killers of Salem or at least establish what could have killed him.
IPC equally expressed its condolence to the family of the deceased journalist and the staff and management of Vanguard Newspapers.
While reacting to her brother’s death, Elizabeth Jessica on Facebook has said the family members are yet to identify the body as her brother’s corpse. She wrote, “NO REST IN PEACE MESSAGES WE HAVE NOT CONFIRM MY BROTHERS CORPSE YET”
Late Salem was last seen on October 13, 2021. After the close of work that day, he was said to have alighted from a cab at Total filling station, close to the Force headquarters, and headed for B.J’s garden, in the company of a female relative.
Thereafter, he reportedly flagged a cab for the lady who left before him, informing her that he was going to Area 8, Garki. But he was never seen until his remains were recovered on Thursday.
An alarm on his mysterious disappearance was raised the next day, from where the matter was directed to the Intelligence Response Team, IRT on October 16, 2021.