Illegal Detention: Gombe NUJ Seeks Apology
The Nigeria Union of Journalists on Wednesday condemned the recent attack, harassment, arrest and detention of two of its members .
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Our correspondent reports that Chika Udenkwo of African Independent Television and Joseph Atabo of Blueprint were arrested on Tuesday while covering the demolition of PDP campaign office allegedly belonging to Good Governance Initiative which was handed over to Muhammad Barde the gubernatorial candidate of PDP.
According to a press statement made available to Periscope Nigeria by the chairman Gombe State Council Sa’idu Malala, and his Secretary Danjuma Kala, the union frowned at the arrest.
The statement partly read, “The affected journalists are Chika Francis Udenkwo of the AIT and Joseph Atabo, a photo journalist with Blueprint Newspapers who were beaten by suspected political thugs and handed over to the police who unlawfully detained them for over three hours at Pantami Division of the Nigerian Police Force, Gombe.
“Even though they have been released unconditionally, we want to state clearly that the act by the police violates the right of our practicing journalists in the state to exercise their freedom in line with the guiding principles and ethics of our profession.”
The NUJ also called on the Commissioner of Police, Gombe State Command, CP Ishola Babaita to tender an unreserved apology to the affected members and the union at large to forestall reoccurrence of such incident between police and the media practitioners in the state, urging them to see journalists as allies in their job.
“The union once again call on the security operatives, political parties and the members of the public to see journalists as partners in progress for the development of the state, more importantly as 2023 electioneering campaigns is approaching by the day.
“The NUJ calls on its members to remain calm over the incident and continue with their routine assignments of adequately informing the public on happenings around them in conformity with its professional guiding principles, and will always do the needful in protecting the dignity of its members for the progress of the profession in the state and the country at large,” the statement added.
