MOGADISHU, Somalia, October 18, 2024 – A shocking event unraveled in the early dawn hours as Abduqadir Mohamed Nur, a journalist affiliated with the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), also known by his moniker Jakarta, was swept away from his residence in the Boondheere district. This audacious action was executed by armed operatives of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), leaving his family and Risaala Media Corporation, where he is employed, in disbelief.
Mohamed Abduwahab Abdullahi, the director of Risaala Media, recounted the story. Armed NISA agents turned up at Nur’s doorstep around 3:00 AM, barging in to forcefully whisk away their target. A relative on the premises described seeing two agents cuff the journalist while others stood ominously outside beside a machine gun-fitted Toyota 4WD.
Inside, the intruders didn’t just take the journalist; they snagged his phone and personal laptop as well. “We vehemently denounce this unlawful kidnapping and demand for Nur’s immediate return,” declared Abdullahi, expressing the media house’s disbelief and anger.
Later that morning, SJS received credible reports hinting at Nur’s confinement at the infamous Godka Jila’ow, a facility with a grim reputation for torture, overseen by NISA in Mogadishu.
Efforts by SJS to reach out for a statement from NISA regarding the breach of Nur’s home went unanswered — a stark silence amidst growing concerns.
Risaala Media Corporation, known for operating both Radio Risaala and Risaala TV, has persistently held the Somali security forces and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s regime accountable. Such integrity wasn’t without cost; past run-ins have led to arrests of their team members, as SJS records detail.
This brazen midnight raid, intruding into Nur’s home, screams of an egregious attack on press freedom and individual rights, tearing at the fabric of dignity and safety a journalist should feel in his sanctuary. Press, being silenced by the force of state security, scars individual lives and chips away at public access to untethered information.
“Immediate action must be taken by Somali authorities. We urge NISA to free Abduqadir Jakarta without delay and to provide assurances for his well-being. Additionally, an impartial investigation must be launched to delve into this unlawful act, ensuring accountability for those violating journalistic freedoms and justice,” emphasized Abdalle Mumin, the Secretary General of SJS.
– Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) –
