TheCable

Gunmen invaded the Anthony, Lagos residence of Sam Amuka, publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, on Saturday.

The incident was said to have happened ahead of the publisher’s trip to South Africa.

According to Vanguard, the gunmen, numbering five, also assaulted the octogenarian by using iron rods and some dangerous weapons on him.

His mobile phone, electronic gadgets and other valuables were reportedly stolen.

“The hoodlums reportedly stormed the one-storey building located on Adebayo Mukuolu Street at about 1.30 am in a Toyota car. They parked their vehicle close to the gate with one of the gang members inside, while others scaled the high walls of the publisher’s expansive compound,” Vanguard said in its report.

“They cut the burglary roof of one of the windows with chisel, from where they gained access into one of the sitting rooms… when they could not open the entrance door leading to his bedroom, they broke the ceiling and succeeded in getting in.”

He was said to have been ordered to “bring the money or get killed”.

“Two of them were armed with pistols, while the rest had iron rods, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons,” the newspaper quoted a witness as saying.

Amuka is a veteran journalist. In his heyday, his column ‘Sad Sam’ attracted a large following.

Before he established Vanguard in 1983, Amuka worked as an editor at PUNCH, which he co-founded. He was also an editor at Daily Times.

According to Wikipedia, he is the oldest practicing media professional in Nigeria.