Kaduna state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has condemned in strong terms the arrest of its member, Mr Jacob Dickson by the Kaduna State government, noting that the incident happened at a time President Muhammadu Buhari called for an end to ill treatment of journalists.
The union lamented
that in Kaduna State, journalists celebrated the World Press Freedom Day in
grief as a journalist was in prison on the orders of the state government,
while another colleague died.
A communique issued
and signed by the state chairman, Comrade Garba Mohammed at the end of an
extra-ordinary congress held on Wednesday at the NUJ secretariat in Kaduna,
read, “We however state categorically that, the state government went too far
by sending our colleague straight to prison without proper arraignment. His
arrest and subsequrnt detention in the prison should have been the last resort
after NUJ must have failed in addressing the matter properly.
“The council also
observed that the relationship between the state government and the union has
never been this sour in the history of Kaduna State. A situation where few
journalists are selected to cover government functions is unhealthy, as many of
our colleagues often miss important stories emanating from government
quarters.”
The union further
called on the state government to first report any erring journalist to the
state council of the NUJ for disciplinary action before involving security
operatives.
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