A day later in Abuja Efenji Efenji of Nigeria’s Africa Independent Television, AIT was attacked by an armed gang that hacked him to death with knives and machetes while on an outing with his family at Cortland Garden, Karu.
In both cases, there have been arrests as investigations into the murders continue. Five men, all from the same family, have been arrested in connection with the murder of Al-Rabu’i. The suspects are from the well known Aouni crime family that has been the subject of some revealing articles by the journalist. The same suspects were arrested for an earlier attack on the journalist last year but were later released by the authorities. This has prompted protest by Yemeni journalists alleging culpability of the authorities in Al Rabu’i’s murder.
Bani Qais Security Chief, Abdelrazzaq Azzaraq, said he would take responsibility for the earlier release of the suspects but said he would ensure they are brought to book this time.
In Nigeria, the police have made arrests in connection with Efenji’s murder though it is not clear how most of the suspects are related to the murder or if Efenji was murdered as a result of his work.
Most of those in detention are staff of Cortland Garden, where the journalist was murdered. They have been in detention since last week with police officials claiming they are helping police investigations into the brutal murder, as Moshood Jimoh, FCT’s Police spokesman confirmed.
Some prominent politicians have expressed shock over the murder and have urged authorities to produce the culprits. Efenji Efenji, before his demise, was on the political beat for AIT.
The world Press Association, WAN-IFRA has condemned the murder of Al Rubi’i in a letter to the Yemeni President, Ali Abdallah Saleh, urging him to ensure the murderers are brought to book. Al Rubi’i is the first journalist to be killed in Yemen since 2004 while Efenji’s murder is coming on the heels of the unresolved murder of Bayo Ohu, the political editor of the Guardian newspaper late last year.
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