The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners’ Forum has expressed a deep concern and disappointment regarding the harassment, intimidation, and subversion of the constitutional role of journalists by the State High Court, Bichi, Kano State.
The Forum said the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Mutawalle, has secured a judgment through a proxy at the State High Court, Kano against two prominent broadcast journalists, Shuaibu Mungadi of Vision Media Services and Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan of Liberty Radio Television, in clear contravention of Section 22 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN 1999), which empowers journalists to hold public officers accountable, and Section 39, which guarantees freedom of speech.
Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners’ Forum condemned the State High Court, Kano, issuance of a punitive Ten billion naira each on the two journalists as damages to the Minister.
The forum said they are deeply pained by the Minister’s actions, which aim to gag the press and prevent journalists from performing their professional duties by rushing to State High Court, Bichi, Kano State demanding the court to secure injunction and restrain further the two Journalists to discuss alleged corruption issues against the minister in a petition to EFCC filed by Zamfara State government.
“We find it curious that the Minister has maliciously singled out these two highly respected journalists for persecution on a matter that has been in the domain of public commentary and analysis for years.”
“This clandestine move is a blatant attempt to undermine press freedom and block any efforts to hold him accountable for alleged corruption during his tenure as Governor of Zamfara.”
They urged President Bola Ahmed Tinibu, NJC and the Attorney General of the Federation to Investigate the manner and basis of the court order restraining the journalists
“We are calling on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a s a matter of urgency set up a committee to investigate the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Mutawalle to unravel the reasons behind his move to hold him accountable.”
“We equally advise matawalle to submit himself for probe so as to clear himself from allegations.That rushing to Bichi out of the courts jurisdiction has heightened suspicion of ulterior motives.”
Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners’ Forum, also called on the President to checkmate the excesses of matawalle who was always in the news for wrong reasons a situation that will further severe the image of the administration
“Review the case against the journalists in a court of competent jurisdiction and salvage the judiciary from the allegation of impropriety”
“Ensure that judges issue fair and impartial judgments, respecting the sanctity of our laws” the forum pleaded.
They called on the Attorney General of the Federation to review the case urgently and the Minister of Information and National Orientation to intervene and safeguard the press from intimidation and harassment.
Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners’ Forum, assured that as broadcast media practitioners and media owners, they will continue to practice their profession within the laws of the land and global best practices.
“We demand immediate action to protect the press freedom and ensure that journalists can perform their duties without fear of harassment or intimidation.”
