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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