By Emeka Nze
Abuja
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has once again urged the Police to re-open the investigation on the killing of foremost journalist, late Mr. Dele Giwa, killed in his home via letter bomb in his home.
President of the NUJ, Mr. Waheed Odushile, who made this remark yesterday at the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, lamented that nobody had been brought to book for the gruesome killing.
He wondered the level of impunity on crimes committed against journalists and noted that so many others have been victims of such brutality without traces of the perpetrators of the crimes and thirty years after, the question is still being asked: “Who killed Dele Giwa?”
Odushile also counselled the law enforcement agencies not to close its eyes against such crimes especially when perpetrated by one of their own.
He submitted that “while the NUJ will not take laws into its hands, it will use every means possible to bring perpetrators of crimes against journalists to book.”
“A society without adequate information is a dead society. Democracy needs free press to thrive,” he said.
In his presentation, the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Mr. Muhammad Mustafa, sought symbiotic press, security agencies relationship rather than current antagonistic one.
Mustafa, who blamed the unhealthy relationship between the two institutions on
misconception, maintained that both share a common mandate which is “serving and protecting the general interest of the public.”
In his paper entitled: “Promoting Cooperation Between Media and Security Forces Towards Attaining Press Freedom And Safety of Journalists,” the police chief further counselled journalists to consider national interest above ‘scoop’ as no report is more important than the unity of the country.
In a goodwill message, the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, urged member states to do everything to bring perpetrators to justice, by developing and strengthening laws and mechanism in accordance with the international humanitarian law and existing UN resolutions.
In the message presented by the UNESCO Director in Nigeria, Mr. Benoit Sossou, Ms Bokova urged that “media, civil society, the police and judiciary to deepen efforts to prevent violence against journalists in order to enhance the protection of journalists in danger, and to prosecute the perpetrators of attacks.”
The day, November 2, was declared by the United Nations’ International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
The theme for the 2016 edition is “Strengthening Judicial systems and African Courts To Protect Safety of Journalists and End Impunity.”