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Information Minister
Reprimands Journalists, Threatens Sanctions Over Interviews With Plane
Crash Survivors
On October 30, 2006,
Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank
Nweke Jnr., reprimand the Nigerian media over its coverage of the
October 29, 2006 Aviation Development Company (ADC) plane crash in
Abuja. He describe the media as "callous and insensitive", for
interviewing survivors from the crash. He threatened to sanction any
media he finds "guilty" of this "offence".
Mr. Nweke made his
comments while visiting survivors of the crash at the National Hospital
in Abuja. He barred newsmen from accompanying him into the hospital
ward, saying: "It is callous and insensitive of the media to attempt to
interview the survivors. I have witnessed such disasters elsewhere and
it is not done. It is callous and insensitive of you and I will sanction
any media found culpable."
Ninety-six passengers and
crew members, including several prominent political figures, died when
the commercial airline headed for the northern Nigerian city of Sokoto
crashed a few minutes after take off at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport in Abuja while nine passengers survived.
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