The Police Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, has shared insight into the efforts to unravel the whereabouts and situation with missing Vanguard Newspaper reporter, Tordue Henry Salem.
Salem, Vanguard correspondent in National Assembly in Abuja was last seen on October 13 causing panic among his loved-ones, friends and colleagues. The latter took a protest to the Force Headquarters on Monday where Mba dropped hint about the findings of the police on the sudden disappearance of the journalist including quizzing an unnamed lady he spent the night with before he got missing.
Speaking, “After the close of work, he was last seen at the National Assembly between 4pm and 5pm on October 13, and thereafter his colleagues never saw him again.
“On October 15, the matter was formally reported at the National Assembly’s Police Station. The attention of the FCT Commissioner of Police and IG were drawn to the case. The IGP gave a firm instruction that all materials and human resources should be deployed at locating and understanding the rationale behind Salem’s disappearance.
“As I speak to you, we have made significant process in the investigation.
“However, I am glad that the Chairman of NUJ, FCT Council, understood the significance of confidential briefing and because of that request, I would rather do more of confidential briefing.
“But, we were able to trace when he left the National Assembly. We were able to interact with a young lady who spent time with him that night.
“We have the recordings of the last call he made. Also, we were able to speak with six different persons he spoke to that night. So, there are a lot of efforts behind the scene taking place. The police intentionally kept quiet on the case.
“We call it ‘Technical Silence’, because, we want to get to a comfortable altitude before we talk to the public.”
He, however said, the police had kept quiet because the suspects or whoever had a hand in the issue were still out there, adding that the police would not want to provide too much for the suspects to know how much or how far the police had gone.
“So, I just want to give a strong assurance that everything, humanly and operationally possible, would be done to solve this case. We see the media as an integral part of what we do. We appreciate Journalists’ collaboration and support.”
