Media chiefs in the country have said the media would not be deterred by the directive of the Federal Government that the media should not divulge “details” of the activities of bandits, herdsmen, terrorists and kidnappers in their reports.
The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mustapha Isah; National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo; and the Executive Director, Centre for Media Law and Advocacy, Richard Akinnola; made this known in separate interviews with newsmen, at the weekend.
According to them, the media reports activities and does not create events.
They advised President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to tackle the security challenges in the country, and desist from its attempts to gag the media through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
The media veterans were reacting to a directive by the National Broadcasting Commission that television and radio stations in Nigeria should not “glamourise the nefarious activities of insurgents” during their daily newspaper reviews.
Also reacting, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the warning to media houses to stop reporting terror attacks.
SERAP told Buhari to instruct the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to withdraw the directive.
The NBC had ordered journalists, television and radio stations to stop “glamourising and giving too many details on the nefarious activities of terrorists and kidnappers,” during their daily newspaper reviews.
In a letter dated July 17, 2021, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the NBC’s action was entirely inconsistent with Nigeria’s obligations under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“We would be grateful if the repressive directive is withdrawn within 24hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, the SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions in the public interest.”
The organization lamented that the NBC’s directive would impermissibly restrict the rights to freedom of expression, information, and victims’ right to justice and effective remedies that are central to public debate and accountability in a democratic society.
SERAP noted that reports and publications on the growing violence and killings in many parts of the country is a matter of public interest.
The letter said the threat of fines and other punishments, would have a disproportionate chilling effect on the work of those seeking to hold the government accountable to the public.
The rights group said the vague definitions of ‘too many details’, ‘glamourising’, ‘divisive rhetoric’, and ‘security issues’ also raise concern that the NBC’s directive unduly interferes with the rights to freedom of expression and information.
Similarly, a member representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Hon Yakubu Umar Barde, expressed dismay over what he described as a strange directive from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to television and radio stations in Nigeria not to divulge “details” of the activities of bandits, terrorist and kidnappers in their reports.
Barde said he was constrained by the decision of the National Broadcasting Commission on the broadcast of insecurity in the country.
In a statement, he said as a representative whose constituency (Chikun/Kajuru) is most hit by the activities of bandits, terrorists and kidnappers; he was concerned about the move by the NBC to gag media houses from telling the stories of his people.
He said, “My constituency has benefitted from the role played by the media to let the world know that my constituents have been killed, maimed, kidnapped, raped and have their villages occupied by these terrorists.”
Barde noted that in the last few weeks, he has engaged the media by granting interviews, raising motions on the floor of the House, and sharing alarming data of the atrocities being perpetrated in his constituency by these terrorists.
He said that presently, 121 students of the Bethel Baptist High School, the 14 members of the family of the Emir of Kajuru, and 16 residents of Anguwan Gimbiya in Sabon Tasha, and many others were still in captivity.
Barde said the kidnappings have continued unabated, stressing that, recently, two young men were killed by bandits in Kagurdna village, Kakau Ward in Chikun Local Government.
As an elected representative, he said he has used the media/press to give suggestions on possible solutions to this menace by advocating the use of technology, and also seeking foreign assistance for the security agencies.
“I want to categorically state that I stand in solidarity with all pressmen and media houses and want to indulge them to keep telling the stories of atrocities being committed by terrorists across the country while being professional in carrying out their duties,” he said.