Nigerian Governor Orders Arrest Of Journalist Who Exposed Terrorists Attack
Mustapha Bina, a Niger-based journalist working with People’s Daily Newspaper, has run into trouble, following his report on an alleged bandit attack on the motorcade of Governor Umaru Bago during his project inspection tour to Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
It was reports that the alleged incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday when the governor and his team were returning from the Egede community in Zone C after assessing projects executed under his administration.
According to the report, the attackers allegedly opened fire, prompting swift retaliation by the governor’s well-armed security team.
“Several bandits were neutralised, while others fled into the bush after being overpowered,” a source claimed in the report.
According to the report, some vehicles in the convoy, including a Hilux and a bulletproof vehicle of the Counter-Terrorism Unit, were reportedly damaged.
It was gathered that after the report was aired on the Minna-based radio station, Prestige FM, where Mr Bina freelances, the operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, arrested and detained the reporter allegedly on the orders of the governor.
An insider source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said it took the intervention of the state NUJ chairman, Abu Nmodu, and other stakeholders who prevailed on the governor before the journalist was granted bail.
“Mr Bina was invited to the SSS office in Minna for questioning over the report aired on Prestige FM about the bandit attack on the governor’s convoy. The governor really felt embarrassed that the issue was out.
“He [Bina] was there for hours. It took severe pleas from the state NUJ and other stakeholders before the journalist was granted bail.
“They told him the arrest of the journalist would further escalate the matter,” the source said.
“It is very unfortunate that the civic space is becoming stifled, and the environment hasn’t been very conducive for journalists, especially under the current administration,” the source added.
Although the chief press secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, and state commissioner for Information, Binta Mamman, swiftly issued a statement debunking the incident, Mr Bago reportedly felt embarrassed and upset for the attack to have been leaked to the media.
Meanwhile, the management of Prestige FM has apologised to the state government over the embarrassment the report had generated.
In a statement signed by its managing director, Zubair AbdulRauf, the radio station acknowledged mistakes and editorial lapses in the report.
The statement read: “Prestige FM Radio Minna wishes to retract and apologise for the false report aired on our news bulletin on Tuesday, 3rd December 2024, regarding an alleged attack on the convoy of Governor Umar Mohammed Bago of Niger State.
“We are deeply concerned about the misstep of our editorial crew and the misrepresentation of facts in the news item. We understand that this report has caused embarrassment to the government of Niger State and the governor, and for that, we are truly sorry.
“We urge the government of Niger State to see Prestige Radio and journalists as friends, not foes, in the quest to address security and social challenges. Our intention is to provide accurate and unbiased information to the public, and we fell short of this standard in this instance.
“We are taking immediate action to rectify our internal processes to prevent such mistakes from happening in the future. We appreciate the trust our listeners have placed in us and promise to work tirelessly to regain it.
“Once again, we apologise for any harm or inconvenience caused by our report, and we commit to upholding the highest standards of journalism.”
