Date Published: 04/29/10

NUJ Petitions Police over plans to kill Journalists

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Abuja Council, petitioned the Commissioner of Police FCT, Mr. John Haruna over plans by yet to be identified persons to kill some journalists in the course of the constitutional duties.

In the petition addressed to Haruna by Mr. Jacob Edi, chairman of the council, the union expressed worry that politicians and those it referred to as political actors are getting desperate by the day and in so doing have made journalists targets of assassinations.  

According to Edi, “On Thursday at about 1:30pm, I received an SMS from Mr. Chuks Okocha, a member of the NUJ Abuja Council working with ThisDay Newspapers.

“The SMS read: “Gbenga Aruleba (AIT), Yusuf Ali (THE Nation), Olusola Fabiyi (PUNCH), Chuks Okocha (THISDAY. U all have no hiding place. U must be happy now dat Prof. Maurice Iwu has been sacked due to ur bad stories and reports. We wil deal wit u soon.

“Remember Dele Giwa, Bayo Ohu and Edo Ubagwu? Gud luck.”

He further stated that: “This SMS underscores the desperation in the polity by politicians and political actors who have made journalists their targets of assassinations who are in the discharge of their legitimate and constitutional duties of monitoring governance on behalf of the people and hold public officials accountable, report on them.

“The NUJ Abuja Council is deeply worried by this development, therefore call on your good offices to provide 24hour security for these journalists and others as well as leave nothing to chance in bringing to book all those that are responsible for the senseless killing of journalists in the country.

“By this protest letter, we are handing over these journalists to your protective custody and hope that no harm will come to either them or members of their family.”

Several attempts to the GSM number 08063623794, yielded no result as the service provider kept saying the number was out of service.