By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Some zealots, trigger happy personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State on Monday practically threw decorum, due diligence and respect for the rules of engagement as they stormed the premises of the Niger State owned newspaper house, the Newsline Publishing Company while armed with guns and held the company staffers hostage for several minutes as they shot and fired their guns sporadically into the air, forcing workers of the company to scamper and took cover for their lives before the operatives left after scaring everyone around.
For the upteenth time, men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps in Minna, Niger State have stirred the hornet nest, taking their job rather too far by assaulting journalists in the course of discharging their constitutional responsibilities without any provocation.
A practicing journalist with the state newspaper, the Newsline Newspaper was manhandled by some personell of the Corp for merely daring to take snap shots of some operatives of the NSCDC who were on patrol on a highway along with Vehicle Inspection Officers of the state and were allegedly collecting and extorting monies from some commercial motorists on a highway.
The journalist who was passing by, stopped over, took snap shots from the scene and asked questions from some of the motorists who confirmed the development to him and to ensure the authenticity of the information before he authored a report, he approached the men of the Corp but got the other side of the Corp.
The brashful and uncouth men of the Corp descended on the defenceless reporter who was only armed with his handset, pen and a jotter. They joggled, tossed him up and down without respect to his rights or his calling as a journalist even after he had duly identified himself to them.
On sensing greater danger to his life, the reporter escaped from the scene and ran back to his office to file the report to his editor. But minutes later, the same men of the Corp in a convoy of about six vehicles, stormed the premises of the newspaper publishing company in a commando style.
They held the company captive. Stopped all movements into and out of the premises while they wielded their guns as they sought for the reporter who they claimed had taken their snapshots while on their lawful duty.
They got hold of him and began to molest him right there in front ofonlookers. As the commotion grew, more people were attracted to the scene. The company is located in the heart of the metropolis on a highway.
As the commotion grew, the Editor of the company joined in the millie and got sandwiched by angry personell of the Corp and the VIO men amidst the staffers of the company who struggled to fetch their Editor from the chaotic scene.
More scuffles ensued and some armed Corp personell were said to have shot into the air severally while some of them used the butt end of their guns to injure a few of the journalists who jumped into the fray as tempers rose.
In it’s immediate response, the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists asked all it’s members to boycott all activities of the NSCDC in the state just as it asked for apology from the commander of the Corp in the state.
Also, the umbrella body of radio, television and theatre workers similarly followed suit and cautioned operatives of the NSCDC against highhandedness, impunity and disrespect to law and order adding that the NSCDC like any other constituted law enforcement agency is bounded by operational rules and it’s personell must respect other people’s rights.
Comrade Umar Abdullahi Kinta, Chairman of the the RATAWU in the state, said the attack by the men of the NSCDC was uncivilised, backward, unprofessional and condemnable.
He advised the Corp in the state to be civil and responsible. He charged the Corp to tender an immediate apology to the NUJ, the Newsline Newspaper Publishing company and all civilised people of the state.
He said members of the RATAWU in the state would join the NUJ in solidarity to compel the officials of the NSCDC in the state to be responsible, subject itself to civil rules and be law abiding organ of the state.
State Secretary of the NUJ, Comrade Abubakar Nmodu had earlier directed all members of the union in the state to stay away from all activities involving the NSCDC.
Nmodu recalled with dismay that members of the Corp in the state had in the last one month attacked practicing journalists in the state on three different occasions. He said enough was enough even as he insisted that the high command at the state command of the Corp must apologize to both the NUJ, the Newsline newspaper publishing company and the journalists manhandled by it’s personnel and also call it’s men involved to order.