Journalists’ Assassination, A Disturbing Trend

The reported Killing of Mallam Zakariya Isa, a earmaraman with the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, in Borno State, is an indication that the poor security situation in the country has gone awry.

Late Zukariya was said to have methis death when two men approached him shot him and left hand in the pool of his blood. the assailants disappeared from the scene soon after they accomplished their killing mission.

The killing of the journalists acted widespread condemnation by well-meaning persons within and outside the co-unity. But beyond the condemnations is the issue of the security of journalists in the country. Nigerian journalists are on a daily basis either faced with assassination threats or outright intimidation. In the course of discharging their duty. This trend has worsened in the last few months, despite efforts to stem it.

On Monday, May 16, 2011, Monday Wghagbe, a Guardian reporter had a rough encounter with a magistrate court in Abuja. On that day, the reporter has a taste of the high-handedness most journalists have had to grapple with.

An account of the story had it that the journalist was at the Chief Magistrate court to comer a fraud-related case when suddenly the magistrate ordered journalists out of her court. Ughabe was yet to comply with the order of Chief Zainab Bashir when she ordered him handcuffed and detained in prison in the following words:

“Police get him! Handcuff him and take him to prison. Tomorrow I will listen to contempt charge against him. I am not a friend of journalists. They have reported nonsense three years ago against me. Let me teach them a lesson”.

The action of the magistrate sparked off protests from the Abuja Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to the Federal Capital Judicial Service Commission requesting that it revieness the magistrate’s presence on the Bench.

In the history of Nigeria, many government officials and uniformed men have shown disdain to journalists which has in most case led to altreatment and humilitation of men of the noble profession.

Not even past Nigerian leaders are spared the natural for journalists. The story is even usually told of a past former Nigerian head of state Nigerian leaders are spared the hatred for journalists that we had on his gate a signpost declaring journalists and dogs out of bounds.

The issue of disdain, intimidation and humiliation of journalists has always dominated seminars organized at various parts of the country. At such seminars journalists were tasked not to take such humiliating treatments and longer.

The  face of these challenges faced by journalists in the country, the NUJ leadership must lead the way in challengining these acts, by ensuring that it always expresses displeasure at such treatment and where necessary go to court to seek redress. It is time journalists demanded respect from those who treat them with contempt.

Worse than the question of humiliation and intimidation is the issue of insecurity which often leads to outright murder of journalists.

Bayo Ohu of The Guardian Newspaper is another example of a journalist that was killed in curious circumstances in Lagos. The outrage occasioned by his death had hardly subsided which another journalist, with The Nation, Sule Ugbagwu, was murdered in his apartment. Many other journalists have been killed in mysterious circumstances.

I am particularly, worried that despite the regularity of these ugly incidents, not much has been done about them by the government.

Rather government officials have joined in the persecution of journalist in the country.

Zakariya’ death is an indication that journalists are in more danger now than before. More attention needs to be given to the security of media houses and their workers. The condition under which journalists work is becoming grim by the day. If drastic measures are not taken the press will be silenced in Nigeria.

I urge the government to bring to justice all those who have killed journalists in this country. This should include Dele Giwa’s killers and all journalists that have been killed till date.

Arnold Alalibo