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Attacks On The Media In March 2004
Journalists barred From Effectively Covering Council Polls
Members of the Kogi State Correspondent Chapel of the Nigerian Union of
Journalists were tacitly barred from covering the March 27 Local
Government Council polls in the state. The Kogi State Independent
Electoral Commission refused to give accreditation to the correspondents
of some media houses in the State while all journalists from local media
were duly issued theirs.
The non-accreditation opened them to possible assault and battery by
security men and political thugs during the elections.
Journalist Battered, Equipment Damaged
Mr. Joseph Nafoh, a correspondent of the African Independent Television (AIT)
in Rivers State was on March 27, beaten up by armed thugs while covering
the local government elections.
The incident took place at about 2.00 p.m. in Ward 1, at St. Pius X
college, Bodo-city community in Gokana Local Government Area, the
hinterland of Ogoniland in Rivers State.
A source at AIT Port Harcourt office confirmed reports that the incident
took place when the correspondent was observing and reporting on the
elections. The report added that the assailants seized and damaged his
video camera. He was saved from lynching by the timely intervention of
policemen though they made no attempt to arrest the attackers.
The seized camera was returned to the offices of the television station on
March 29, by the state commissioner for Information, Mr. Magnus Abey. He
however did not return the cassette.
Editor Alleges Threat From Ekiti State Government
The Managing Editor of TheNews Magazine, Mr. Babafemi Ojudu alleged that
the Ekiti State government had threatened to deal with him. He said on
March 30, between 9 and 10 p.m, he received three anonymous calls on his
mobile phone.
The three calls, he said, given their different voices, were made by two
individuals whose identities and numbers were masked. Mr. Ojudu said they
accused him of masterminding the cover story of TheNews magazine’s April
5, 2004 (Vol. 22 No. 13) edition titled: “The Power Drunk Governor: How
Fayose’s Men Murdered Students”.
He added that the callers told him: “It is because you want to be the
governor of Ekiti state that you are writing rubbish. You will never be
governor,” and threatened “We will deal with you”.
The editor also alleged that earlier the same March 30, between 4 and
6p.m., a man who called himself Stephen Akinyemi and who claimed to have
worked for Wale Thompson, the musician, called thrice from London with the
number + 442078911411. The said Akinyemi, according Ojudu, warned him to
“desist from criticizing Governor Fayose”. He said he called back the
number, the phone rang but there was no response.
These threatening calls tallied with what Mr. Idowu Adelusi, the Chief
Press Secretary to Governor Fayose, said at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti
on 31 March and which was reported by some national dailies. He alleged
that Mr. Adelusi, at the press conference said: “By all standards, the
media was supposed to be an unbiased watchdog of both the society and the
government. But in the case of The News magazine, it is no longer playing
that role because of its determination in sponsoring one of its editors
for the race into the office of governor in 2007.”
The Ekiti State Government in its reaction however debunked Mr. Ojudu’s
claims. In a statement by Mr. Idowu Adelusi, the government said that
after a thorough investigation into the matter, it discovered that the
claim by Mr. Ojudu was false and a mere attempt to raise unnecessary
alarm.
The statement added that the aide Ojudu was referring to was a long-time
associate of his who had implored Ojudu to join hands with Governor Fayose
in developing the state.
The discussion between Ojudu and the governor’s aide, the statement
insists, was never meant to threaten him noting that if the aide had
intention of harming Ojudu, he would have called him on a line, which he
is not familiar with.
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