Boko Haram: Journalist Deported from Maiduguri to Abuja by Borno State governor – The recent Boko-Haram incident has tested and unfolded that the claimed rule of law is false and wrong in both Bauchi and Borno States. There were gross abuse of human rights and individual hunts which shows that rule law is not at all known talk less of respecting it. For instance, if the Military (trained Killers) can
capture the sect leader ustaz Mohammed Yusuf and hand over to the Police for persecution only to be told he was killed in gun battle and later find out that he was shot at gun point by Policemen and up till now no action is taken. We are aware of the order to investigate by Mr Yaradua which usually ends at nothing. Similarly, the former commissioner of Borno State was also shot at close range (arm less) by the same police on the order of somebody. What a rule of law!!!
To make the matter worst, the only Journalist that that interviewed Boko-Haram leader before his death was detained by the same police for six days without any charge or trail and eventually thrown out of Borno State like a foreigner. Have ever heard, that a Nigerian is deported from his home-state to another state on the order of the His own State Governor? The deported Journalist is called Ahmed Salkida; he works with Daily Trust Newspaper. He reports form Borno State. My worry is that does a State Governor have any right to deport another person (an indigene) out of his State? Could something like this happen in a State where rule of law prevails?
He was deported to Abuja because he had interviewed (on cell Phone) the Sect (Boko-Haram) leader before his death. Does the Government have something they are hiding in this issue? Do the other side (i.e. Boko-Haram) have right to listen and heard?. Can we say the Media is fair when only one side is reported always? Can you imagine how you will feel when you are deported from home state without any form of notice? Leaving behind your loved one.And for how long?
In any case, I think it is high time the journalist in Nigeria take the bull by the horn and provide support and protection for each other in time of need.
FOI Coalition