The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on Sunday urged the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State to track down the killers of Mr Toyin Obadina, Deputy Editor, Newswatch Newspapers.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Femi Adesina, the NGE President.
Obadina died on Sunday as a result of injuries he sustained from the gunmen at about 1am in the early hours of Saturday on his way to his Ikorodu residence in Lagos.
He was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where doctors battled unsuccessfully to save his life.
The NGE described the incident as “sickening’’.
“The death of Mr Toyin Obadina, Deputy Editor, Saturday Newswatch from the guns of suspected armed robbers is not only agonising and horrendous, it is quite sickening.
“All men of the fraternity of the pen, to which Obadina belonged, are revolted that a man returning home from his legitimate duty is waylaid, robbed, and then shot twice in the stomach, leading to his death.
“We urge the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Umar Manko, to ensure that killers of Obadina are brought to book in the shortest possible time,’’ the statement quoted Adesina as saying.
It condemned the proliferation of small arms almost throughout the length and breadth of the country, and called on the relevant authorities to rise to the occasion.
“It is most probable that our colleague, Obadina, met his end through one of such illicit weapons.
“The onus is on government at all levels to curb criminality. Anything less would not do.’’
The statement sympathised with the family of the deceased, Newswatch Communications, and Nigerian journalists in general and prayed God to grant all the fortitude to bear the loss.
