Bauchi State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has directed its members to suspend with immediate effect, coverage of all activities of the police in the state for attacking one of the AIT reporters, Yusuf Damina, while covering the protest staged by the students of the Bauchi State College of Agriculture on Thursday.
A statement signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of the NUJ in the state, Comrade Umar Sa’idu and Isah Gadau respectively, described the incident as uncivilized and barbaric, adding that the boycott will remain until the perpetrators of the act are fished out and prosecuted in addition to the proper payment of compensation and settlement of medical bills of the victim.
- PODCAST: Human Trafficking: ‘Nigeria Must Ditch Its Infamous Record’
- How Okagbare lashed Nigerian sports officials before receiving Doping hammer
“The NUJ noted with dissatisfaction the way and manner in which members of the Nigeria Police from Bauchi Command who always claims to be partners in progress with journalists, brutalised, molested and harassed the AIT reporter and seized his camera, laptop computer, microphone with AIT logo, mobile phones, modem and wallet containing substantial amount of money among other belongings,” the statement said.
Daily Trust Saturday reports that the reporter’s gadgets, phones and other personal belongings were seized according to his colleagues who were at the scene. He sustained injury on his head while his body was soaked with blood. Yusuf was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The students of the College were protesting ceding of a portion of the school’s land to an individual who had won a case in court against the school. The violence reportedly began when there was an attempt to demarcate the land.
