Late Tordue Salem: Group threatens to occupy Force headquarters if killers are not fished out in 3 days

As reactions continue to trail the murder of Mr Tordue Salem, a journalist covering the lower Chamber of the National Assembly, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, an umbrella body of all the youth groups in the South East geopolitical zone on Friday said it received with rude shock the unsavoury news of the death of Tordue Salem who’s remains were recovered in Abuja.

The group described the assassination of Salem as wickedness of the highest order and condemn it in strongest terms.

They demanded that the perpetrators no matter how highly placed be fished out in three days to be brought to justice, or face lawful protest that will occupy Force headquarters.

In a statement by the group’s President General, Hon. Goodluck Ibem which was made available to CAPITAL POST in Abuja on Friday, stated that
the gruesome assassination of Salem contravenes the commitment undertaken in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to protect everyone’s freedom of opinion and expression and to create the conditions for its effective exercise.

The group asserted that this right is an essential prerequisite for the progress and development of a democratic society, governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights.

“From all indications, the gruesome assassination of Salem is a calculated attempt by some power brokers to intimidate the men of the fourth estate of the realm from performing their civil duties and responsibilities.

“The entire process sounds like tales by moon light. For the police to find the corpse of Salem means that some suspects involved in the murder of Salem took them to the place where the kept his corpse. We want the police to tell us who the suspects are . Who hired them to kill Salem and the reason why he was murdered.

“There is no Killing without a motive. Salem is a professional journalist and not a common criminal that will be assassinated over sweets or biscuits. We demand that the police must expose and bring to Justice all the actors involved in the murder of Salem Torlue.

“We want to let the Federal government, state governments and all state actors to know that we will not entertain any form of impunity against journalists.

“The tales by moon light story on Salem is totally unacceptable to us. The killers of Salem must be found and prosecuted openly by relevant authorities. No form of secrecy will be entertained in this trial.

“We call on the Inspector General of Police IGP Usman Alkali Baba to within 3 working days make public the names of those involved in the gruesome killing of Salem or we will lawfully occupy the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters Abuja until the needful is done.

“The entire scenario surrounding the sudden disappearance and death of Salem Torlue shows that there is a high powered conspiracy and the conspirators and perpetrators must be brought to Justice.

“We call on the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Scholarships, and all Nigerians to rise up in defence of our democracy.

“Injustice against one is injustice against all. The gruesome murder of Tordue Salem by enemies of our democracy is totally unacceptable. The apple of our democracy’s eye have been touched by enemies of our Society and we will not take It lying down.

“Attack against the press is an attack on the foundation of our democracy. It is an open truth that Salem Torlue was gruesomely murdered in order to intimidate, harass and gag the press. Indeed our democracy have been threatened.

“We call on the International community and the United Nations to come to the aid of Nigerians before our journalists and media practitioners are wiped out by some anti-democratic forces who are hell-bent on truncating our democracy for their selfish and pecuniary gains”, the statement concluded.