The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Borno State Council has expressed bitterness over the manner, personnel of the Nigeria Army in Maiduguri arrested and handcuffed a reporter with Daily Trust Newspaper, Olatunji Omirin at the Press Centre, Thursday , and took him to Maimalari Barracks.
The Council, in a statement by the Chairman and Secretary, Bulama Talba and Mohammed Ibrahim said although the reporter was released later in the evening, the move by the military was detrimental to the tenets of democracy and a trample on the dignity of professional journalists which unfortunately was repeating itself after similar incident occurred same time last year.
“We the members of the Pen profession in Borno State have been and will continue to live up to our responsibilities of informing the government and citizens on happenings as a way of promoting the safety of all and improve living conditions at all times.
“The Union members from various mediums have been, with all sense of responsibility, carrying out duties to put issues in the right perspectives for proper agenda setting by government and the military and mobilizing the citizenry to support programmes and operations that follow, which Olatunji Omirin has been doing remarkably well.
“NUJ feels it is quite unfortunate that this is happening now when we all need to be on the same page to move our country from armed conflict to peaceful resolutions of disputes for development to thrive instead of playing into the wishes of elements that promote discord in the nation.
“We can do better by calling concerned media organizations, NUJ as well as other stakeholders for regular interactions on finding a common ground on the way forward beyond this modus operandi.” the statement concludes.
