World press charges Jonathan on murdered Nigerian journalists

In a letter jointly signed by Mr. Gavin O’Reilly, President, World Association of Newspapers and Xavier Vidal-Folch of the World Editors Forum, the associations jointly condemned the killings of Nathan S. Dabak and his colleague, Sunday Bwede both of Jos based The Light Bearers Newspaper and Lagos based, Edo Sule Ugbagwu of The Nation newspaper.

Dabak and Bwede were killed during a violent riot in the restive Plateau State capital of Jos while Mr. Ugbagwu was gunned down by yet to be identified men in his Lagos home.

In the letter, the associations urged President Jonathan to bring the killers of the three journalists to book.

“We respectfully call on you to ensure that the murders of Mr Dabak, Mr Bwede and Mr Ugbagwu are thoroughly investigated and that those responsible are quickly brought to justice. We urge you to do everything possible to ensure the safety of journalists,” the letter said.

They also urged the president to create an enabling environment for journalist to work without fear for their lives and property, saying, “We respectfully remind you that it is the duty of the state to provide an environment in which journalists are able to carry out their professional duties without fear of violence.”