Rhoda Olorunfemi, MCD Reporter
A Communication and Development Consultant, Mr Tony Iyare has warned that journalism in Nigeria may go into extinction if current assaults launched against journalists are not curbed.
Iyare stated this at the Media Roundtable to mark the ‘International Day To End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists’, held by the International Press Centre (IPC), Ogba, Lagos on Wednesday.
The former Special Adviser, Media Affairs to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said journalists have the responsibility to defend their profession and called for the confidence to speak up when any act of danger is been launched against them while carrying out their duty.
According to him, ”journalists have the responsibility of defending their profession. There is need for boldness to speak up against any act that could endanger their lives and profession.”
“Many journalists will become jobless if this acts of impunity is not dealt with on time,” Iyare said.
He noted that while agenda are being set for other things by various media houses’ headlines on the front pages of newspapers, journalists tend to neglect themselves when the need arises to report critical issues affecting them.
He stated that such impunity which may include beating or arrest of a journalist by security agents, political thugs, touts, setting media houses ablaze, and the likes are few among assaults journalists are going through.
Commenting on the latest report by the Nigerian Journalists’ Safety Initiative (NJSI) team, that 37 journalists have falling victims of assaults and harassment nationwide from May to September in 2016, Iyare said, each time media shies away from speaking up on such occasion, culprits would feel it is right assaulting journalists.
“The level of engagement is also a critical issue when editors of various media companies who are supposed to be present at event like this refuse to show up but turn up for any invitation by local government councils or other bigger events,” he said.
Speaking on state of security of journalists in Lagos, Mrs. Dolapo Opeyemi Badmus, Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos, admitted that there are conflicts between Nigerian police and journalists.
She said this is due to the fact that both journalists and police are under pressure to meet up with deadlines. Police officers have the duty to detect and prevent crimes, apprehend criminals and prosecute them, while journalists are in a hurry to meet deadline.
She explained that a journalist may go to a territory where the information needed for his investigative story could be a threat to the people involved adding that the major mistake most journalists make is when they neglect security agents like the police about their mission.
“Feedback gets to our desk after such a journalist must have been beaten-up. And culprits must have escaped the scene shortly before we arrive the scene. Most journalists expects us to apprehend those responsible which could be difficult for us at that point,” Badmus said.
She however advised that excesses both on the side of journalists and police force should be checked.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Lagos, Mr. Frank Mba, said, journalism is a sensitive profession that predisposes practitioners to danger and highlighted what journalists should do to avoid being assaulted by security officers.
He advised journalists to always ‘tell the truth’ in their reports, as some of their stories could be a blackmail, and personalities involved may in turn hire security officers to assault them.
Speaking on the ‘environment’, Mba, said, an area occupied by touts/thugs or a country ruled by military may not be conducive enough for a journalist to tell the truth like he ought to.
He said it is better for journalists to involve any security agency in any given vicinity where an investigation is being conducted.
He however urged journalists to be professional, develop a good life style, have good job pattern, and take advantage of various trainings to help them do their works effectively.
The Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Kenneth Ugbechie, who represented the President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, said some security agents feel they are still in the military regime and have become dictators even at work point.
He suggested that the Nigerian police should be democratized to help correct such impression.
The Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Deji Elumoye called for cordial relationship between journalists and police force. “Both Journalists and the Police Force should join efforts together as stories from journalists have helped the police to come up with hypothesis for their investigation. Journalists should not always think they want to have their ways.”
