TheNewsGuru

Tag: Reporter

  • IPC demands the release of Premium Times reporter

    The International Press Centre (IPC) is calling on the Nigerian Police Force to immediately unfreeze the bank account of Premium Times reporter, Samuel Ogundipe.

    According to Report from Premium Times, “Mr. Ogundipe’s salary account with Ecobank was frozen in an attempt to frustrate him. One of the police officers handling the investigation, Emmanual Onyeneho, an inspector, was heard saying they had to freeze the account to incapacitate the reporter.”

    Mr. Ogundipe, Premium Times Security Sector Reporter is currently detained at the SARS headquarters in Abuja for declining to give the source of a recent story he published.

    IPC Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said: “There is no precedent in the history of Nigeria where the Police had frozen the personal account a journalist. By so doing the police is not only inflicting pain on Mr. Ogundipe but his immediate family as well. It is unacceptable and totally condemnable.”

    IPC once again condemns the arrest and detention of Samuel Ogundipe. The Police should either set him free immediately or charge him to court so he could have legal opportunity to defend himself.

     

    SGD:

    Melody Akinjiyan

    Program Assistant/Safety Desk Officer IPC

  • Daily Trust reporter, Musa Krishi forcefully arrested by policemen

    A Daily Trust reporter attached to the House of Representatives in the National Assembly, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, was abducted by policemen who claimed to have come from Zone One Command Police Headquarters in Kano.

    The revelation was made know in a statement signed by Daily Trust’s Editor-in-Chief, Mannir Dan-Ali and made available to TheNewsGuru.com via email.

    In the statement, Daily Trust claimed Krishi was hauled into a Hilux Van with Registration Number ABJ RSH 850 AH from the Divisional Police Office at the National Assembly by a team of six plain cloth policemen who claimed to be taking him to Kano for interrogation.

    Read the statement in full:

    At about 11.30am on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, reporter attached to the House of Representatives in the National Assembly, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, was abducted by policemen who claimed to have come from Zone One Command Police Headquarters in Kano. He was hauled into a Hilux Van with Registration Number ABJ RSH 850 AH from the Divisional Police Office at the National Assembly by a team of six plain cloth policemen who claimed to be taking him to Kano for interrogation.

    Though the full ramifications of the investigation they claimed to be carrying out has not been made known to the management of Daily Trust, the abduction of Krishi is the height of intimidation visited upon this company since January 26, 2018 following the publication of a paid advertisement which the governor of Jigawa State had taken exception to. Below is a sequence of intimidation Daily Trust has been subjected to over the last one and a half months.

    1. On January 26, 2018 Daily Trust published a paid advertisement placed by the Coalition of Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar Support Groups. The advertorial consisted of photographs showing Jigawa State Governor Badaru with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
    2. On the same day lawyers of Governor Badaru wrote to disown the contents of the advertorial and sought an immediate retraction.
    3. On January 28, 2018, Daily Trust published the Jigawa State Government’s press release disowning the advertorial.
    4. On February 5, 2018, Daily Trust published an apology/retraction of the advertisement as demanded by the governor’s lawyers.
    5. In February Daily Trust received from the Police in Kano a letter claiming that they had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the publication of the advertorial. Attached to the letter was a summon from a Chief Magistrate Court in Kano, which did not contain the names of parties to the suit, and even a suit number.
    6. We provided all the information requested for by the Police in Kano to enable them conduct their investigations. But not satisfied, the police summoned the management team of Daily Trust to Kano for further investigation.
    7. As this civil case took a frightening twist and turn, Daily Trust wrote an official petition to the Inspector General of Police dated February 15, 2018, seeking his intervention. The IGP subsequently set up a team of investigators in Abuja to work on this case.

    It was, therefore, a shock to the management of Daily Trust that the Police in Kano upstaged the IGP’s investigation by coming to Abuja to abduct one of our reporters. We believe the police in Kano can only do this because of undue pressures from Jigawa State Government.

    We consider this to be, not just an act of intimidation on Daily Trust journalists and newspaper, but an unwarranted assault on Journalism and the media profession. The advertorial in question had no criminal content; it was not in any way libellous against the governor of Jigawa State or any other political personality contained therein.

    If anything, this is a civil-cum-political issue, and, as a newspaper, we have bent over backward by carrying out the necessary retraction and publishing the disclaimers by the government of Jigawa State. The abduction of our journalist was unwarranted and an abuse on the rights of our reporter. This is clearly another mischievous effort to obstruct Daily Trust from performing of its constitutionally-supported role of making its platform available to all Nigerians who wish to air their views about the country’s democracy.

    We, therefore, call for the immediate release of our reporter, Musa Abdullahi Kirshi, and demand an unreserved apology from the Kano State Command of the Nigeria Police. We appeal to the Inspector-General of Police and President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Police in Kano to order and instruct them to return our reporter to his duty post at the National Assembly.

    (Signed)

    MANNIR DAN-ALI

    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

    March 13, 2018

  • IPC calls for thorough police investigations over shooting of female AIT reporter

    The International Press Centre, Lagos-Nigeria is calling for thorough police investigations over the shooting of female Africa Independent Television (AIT) reporter, Miss Owei Patience by gunmen on Friday, 8th December 2017.

    According to reports from The Nation online, “Owei, who covers the Government House, was attacked by gunmen at about 10:30 pm on Friday while returning from a church service. She was shot at close range and dispossessed of her mobile phones, cash and other valuables.”

    The Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade in a statement described the unfortunate occurrence as a great concern to the Nigerian media and its stakeholders.

    “It is unfortunate that we almost lost one of our own in the media to gunmen. This again points to the security lapses in the Nigerian society which calls for a serious concern and thorough investigations by the Nigerian Police.”

    IPC therefore calls the attention of the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa state to immediately investigate this attack as it is not the first of its kind. The culprits involved should be made to face the law.

    IPC also appreciates the efforts being made by the Bayelsa state government to take up the medical bill of Owei’s treatment in the hospital.

  • Gunman robs, shoots female AIT reporter

    An unknown gunman on Saturday shot a reporter with the Africa Independent Television (AIT), Miss Owe Patience, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The victim was reportedly shot at close range along Edepie area by her assailant, who dispossessed her of her mobile phones, cash and other valuables.

    Owei, who covers the Government House, was attacked at about 10.30pm on Friday while returning home from a church service, Shilloh 2017, organised by the Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel,.

    It was learnt that the suspected armed robbers shot her in the back after collecting her phones and handbag, leaving her in the pool of her blood.

    It was gathered that she was unconscious and in a critical condition.

    Some journalists and members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), who visited her at the State Government House hospital, where she was rushed to for treatment lamented her condition saying she could not talk.

    A Good Samaritan, who rushed her to the hospital, narrated how the journalist was shot.

    The source, who identified himself as Bokoru said: “Last night (Friday night) at about 10:40pm, I had an urgent call from James Baridi a few metres from my house. When I went it was the fresh scene of a rather violent robbery.

    “A girl I would later identity as an AIT staff was laying half-conscious in a pool of her blood. Witnesses said it was a lone gunman who had trailed her from Shiloh.

    “Just in front of her house he showed her the gun, took her phone, jewellery and cash. But the animal didn’t end there. He took steps backwards and shot her at close range even as she gave him no problems.

    “Her landlady, James and I rushed her to Tobis Hospital at Akenfa. To our surprise … They would not save her life except we provide a police report and a wholesome amount.

    “We took her to another hospital at Igbogene, the people here were humans and they commenced treatment instantly including fresh pounds of blood.

    “By morning we realised we needed to contact her family, but how? She lives alone and her phones were gone. In the area no one knows much about her except that she’s a journalist for AIT. We also reported the matter to the Akenfa police division

    “For a start, I called NUJ Bayelsa scribe Ebiowei Lawal who called her office. It’s been a very long day. Patience Owe will make it and we have God to thank. Our prayers will remain with her”.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the development and said the police were investigating.

     

     

  • Alleged offensive story: Presidency orders recall of expelled Punch Reporter

    Alleged offensive story: Presidency orders recall of expelled Punch Reporter

    The Presidency has ordered the recall of the Correspondent of Punch Newspapers, Olalekan Adetayo, attached to the State House, Abuja, barely 10 hours after his expulsion from the beat.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, confirmed this development in a message addressed to the Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Malam Ubale Musa.

    The presidential spokesman revealed that the recall of Adetayo followed the intervention of the Director-General of the Department for State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.

    According to him, his office and that of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity will resolve the issue on Tuesday.

    “”We just got a clearance from Malam Lawal Daura, the DG SSS, to recall Lekan to the Villa. Please come along with him tomorrow.

    “”The Special Adviser on Media, Femi Adesina and I will resolve the issues,” he said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Adetayo was interrogated on Monday afternoon by the office of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president over a story the presidency considered offensive.

    The correspondent, who spent about 45 minutes with his interrogators, was later escorted out of the Presidential Villa by security operatives after picking his belongings from the Press Gallery of the Council Chamber.

    However, in a swift reaction, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, posted on his twitter handle on Monday evening that his office was not consulted before Adetayo was expelled from the Villa by the CSO.

    According to him, an amicable solution to the matter is being worked out by relevant offices in the Villa, adding that President Buhari does not intend to muzzle the media in any way.

     

     

    NAN