Journalists in Enugu State on Thursday staged a protest against the spate of harassment and intimidation of journalists in the country.
The protest was held within the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre on Rangers Avenue, Enugu.
Led by the Chairman, Enugu State chapter of the NUJ, Mr. Rex Arum, the journalists said the protest was in accordance with the call made by the NUJ at the national level.
It would be recalled that journalists have suffered harassment in recent time with the case of Jones Abiri, publisher of The Source magazine in Bayelsa State who was incarcerated for two years without trial by the Department of State Services, DSS, as a classical example.
Another example among many others is the detention of Samuel Ogundipe of Premium Times where he was asked by the Police to reveal the source of his story.
Speaking on the protest, Arum said journalists had become endangered.
According to him, it would be wrong to suddenly forget the immense contributions of journalists to the struggle to return to democracy.
He said, “Politicians and security agencies should not see the media as enemies.”
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The National Vice President Zone C of the NUJ, Mr Chris Isiguzo, said there was urgent need to stop the spate of attacks on journalists.
“Three weeks ago, one of our colleagues in Enugu, Mr Raphael Edeh was brutalised and almost arraigned in the State High Court but for the intervention of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Danmallam Mohammed.
“Journalists have poured out on the streets to protest. We have decided not to give up on the protection of democracy.
“While we call on journalists to carry out their jobs within the ambit of the law, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the security agencies and politicians to order.”
