A staff member of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, Salis Manaja, has reportedly been abducted while travelling from Ebonyi State to Kwara State for the company’s annual Young Communication Fellowship programme.
Manaja was said to have begun his journey on Saturday before he was kidnapped along an unspecified route.
The development came to light on Monday after his colleagues raised the alarm on social media over his disappearance, stating that multiple calls to his phone went unanswered.
One of his colleagues, Abdulrasheed Kofa, in a Facebook post on Monday, called for prayers for his safe return.
Kofa, who described himself as a fellow from a previous session of the same fellowship held in Kano, wrote, “Please include Oga Manager, M. Salis, in your prayers. He was kidnapped along his way to Ilorin. Oga Manager, a dedicated multimedia journalist with PRNigeria, travelled to Ilorin for the 2025 PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship.
“I was a fellow in an earlier session of the same fellowship held in Kano a few weeks ago. May Allah, with His infinite mercy and protection, guard him wherever he is and give his family the strength to bear his absence.”
Another friend, Nuhu Masa, also shared his concern in a Facebook post, confirming that all efforts to reach the journalist had been futile.
“Our friend and brother, Salis Muhammad Manaja, a multimedia journalist with PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, headquartered in Abuja, has been kidnapped by gunmen on his way to Ilorin today. All efforts to reach him have proved abortive. Please include him in your prayers,” he wrote.
Reacting to the development, a human rights and anti-corruption activist, Umar Umar, condemned the incident, describing it as “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
He urged the Federal Government and security agencies to take swift and decisive action to rescue the journalist, stressing that ensuring citizens’ safety was their constitutional duty.
“I am deeply shocked and heartbroken over the abduction of our dear brother, Malam Salis Muhammad Manaja, a committed multimedia journalist with our proud organisation, Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR). This unfortunate incident is yet another painful reminder of the alarming state of insecurity in our country, where innocent citizens are no longer safe on our highways.
“I strongly condemn this cruel and senseless act and urge the authorities to ensure Salis’ safe and speedy release. Nigerians deserve to live without fear. Security is not a privilege; it is our right,” he said.
Meanwhile, a security analyst and counterinsurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, revealed in a post on X.com on Monday that the abductors had reached out to the victim’s family.
“A source close to the family confirmed that the abductors have since made contact, demanding a ransom for his release. Details regarding the exact location where the kidnapping took place remain unconfirmed,” he wrote.
Efforts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful, as calls to his line and messages sent to him were not answered. Similarly, calls made to the contact number on PRNigeria’s website went unanswered as of press time.
The incident adds to the growing number of abductions targeting travellers across Nigerian highways.
In December 2024, Gregory Maduakolam, an Assistant Editor-in-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was kidnapped and later released after several days in captivity.
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