Journalists have been urged to adhere to professional ethics and avoid sensationalism in their reportage.
The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police in-charge of Zone 12, Bauchi Mr. Besan Dapiya Gwana, gave the charge in Bauchi when he received the executive members of NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel who paid him a courtesy visit over the weekend.
The Police Zone 12 command comprises of Bauchi, Yobe and Borno states.
He urged them to eschew sensationalism in their day-to-day reportage of events and help the police curb crime in the state.
“What we want from journalists normally as a police organization is to report us fairly and eschew sensationalism, because if the press want to make mountain out of a small hill, they have the instruments to do so.
“You know when you over report certain crime, it tends to give you vigour, even to those criminals. We are in Bauchi here, we know the challenges we have when it comes to crime,” he said.
Gwana said the police had been clamping down on members of the notorious Sara–Suka thugs and other criminals leading to the arrest and prosecution of many.
“We are still on their trail and with time we are going to get them where they should be. You are aware of what happened during the second day of last Eid-el Fitr where some young men from Darazo and Duguri clashed, killed and inflicted serious injuries on themselves, a lot of arrests were made and I’m aware the cases are in court,” he added.
According to the AIG, the police, press and lawyers have hitherto not been the best of friends, but with time and globalization, the relationship has improved with mutual benefit for each other and the society at large.
Also speaking, the officer in charge of zonal criminal investigation department, DCP Ayuba, described the synergy established between the police and the press as positive.
“The level of cooperation and understanding we had with the press, especially the crime reporters, you know that they are always around and we achieve a lot together with them.
“When I heard you are here to synergize with us, to portray us positively, we were happy; if there is any negative report, please try to clarify with us so that there will not be any hitch, because that is the only area that normally brings quarrel,” Ayuba said.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the correspondents’ chapel, Mr. Segun Awofadeji said they had keyed into the command’s policy of security surveillance, and pledged to partner with the command to positively project its activities to the outside world.
He prayed that the synergy between the chapel and Zone 12 of the Force will be strengthened for it to achieve set goals for the Police.
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