No fewer than 6,160 journalists have been insured under a scheme introduced by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

NUJ President, Alhaji Mohammad Garba, said this during a condolence visit to Radio Nigeria following the death of the station’s Executive Director, Malam Yusuf Abara.

Garba said the insurance initiative was to provide a form of mitigation for members due to the hazards of the profession.

He lamented that there had been an upsurge in the number of journalists who had lost their lives or suffered various degrees of injuries in the course of performing their jobs.

Garba said each member was expected to pay a premium of N6, 760 per annum and was entitled to N1.5 million as compensation upon injury or death of the premium holder.

“ We hope to cover all the 25,000 registered journalists across the country by the end of this year and we are confident that all the registered journalists will be covered judging from the response of our members,’’ he said.

He commended some state governments for underwriting the insurance cover of journalists working in those areas and urged others to emulate them. Garba also appealed to Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger to assist the union in recovering the land belonging to the state council of the NUJ, saying some persons were trespassing on the land.

“ From the documents in our possession, the land in question belongs to the union and was given to us by then Military Governor, Lt.- Col. Lawan Gwadabe, in 1987.

“The Certificate of Occupancy has not been revoked; the union will continue to protect its property,’’ he said.

Responding, the Acting Executive Director of the station, Malam Hussaini Mohammed, thanked Garba for the condolence visit.

He pledged to continue to assist the union in the discharge of its activities.