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Binocular: Why weapons are not tolerated inside the business hall of the NUJ during news conferences

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1 year ago

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Binocular: Why weapons are not tolerated inside the business hall of the NUJ during news conferences

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Sometimes one wonders when our younger colleagues of the pen will catch up with certain unwritten ideals and expectations of practice when it comes to our dear profession. Unwritten in the sense that we were taught in journalism school that you can learn these only in the field of practice. And we actually tapped from the older ones we met in the field those days. But the same cannot be said about the younger generation.
Their display of Ignorance of their own turf sometimes baffles me and the pertinent question raised above sometimes comes to mind.

The General elections in Nigeria has come and gone but there is so much to worry about our security architecture especially in Borno, north east Nigeria when it comes to the conduct of colleagues and how they protect their own interests, and even their lives. There is too much eye service within the first three estates and it is beginning to rub off on the fourth estate of the realm.

How do you for instance play so much to eye service that you do not know how to control the security people to be weary of weapons inside the chambers of the NUJ? Is anyone above the law that we should allow them enter the main hall of the NUJ with his or her weapons? What if one of them run berserk due to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and shoots a generation of journalists inside the hall? Are politicians on campaign so fearful of journalists that they cannot come into our chambers without armed men protecting them. Regardless of the fact that we do not have a standing security architecture yet in our one entrance compound, is the Chairman in council not strong enough to protect them? What manner of power show is it that would make them take weapons into the hall in maiduguri to protect their own? Is that the reason why the UN agencies prefer to brief the gentlemen of the media in government house rather than the NUJ whenever they gather themselves around here as they did yesterday?

When hoodlums entered the press Centre in Kaduna not too recently with all manner of weapons and pounced on members while in a news conference with the revered Comrade Shehu Sani, our comrades learnt their lessons In a very hard way. There will surely not be a next time before they put in place a security check to ensure that no one crosses the red line again with any weapon even if he was a security operative from the government house. We as journalists do not carry weapons to protect our selves therefore nobody should be allowed to carry weapons into our halls for news conferences again no matter how highly placed. It must be as sacred as a hospital, church or a mosque were weapons are prohibited beyond the entrance were members assemble for business.As a matter of fact, even horns from cars are forbidden in such places.

During the last general election in Borno, a lot of unprovoked wrongs were meted out on us as a group but because we regard ourselves as gentlemen of the press, we tended to overlook them as friends that would not kill us just like that because they looked quite normal.
The security details of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Borno state had no business inside the centre even going to the extent of blocking our two entrances and teaching us how to handle our security. That was a big time wrong to congress and no press Centre anywhere in the country should tolerate it. If anyone would like to endanger the life of a politician its not journalists. We are gentlemen ruled by our ethics. They were supposed to stay outside and wait for the news conference to end before storming back into the centre to check their Principal. You do not carry your so called security drill into the hall of the NUJ anywhere and expect it to fly just because you get away with it inside the government house. Quite all right Jajeri was a Governorship candidate and our friend and I don’t think there was any reason for us to want to harm him to justify any security to bring weapons into our hall to protect him. Your drill does not apply to any of our press centres in the 36 states of the Federal Republic. We are the most peaceful estate of the realm.

The sacredness of the press Centre

I have always been a proponent of colleagues treating the press Centre as our own “barracks” as such ensuring that outsiders accord it the respect it should be given. No smoking of weeds inside and no sniffing of drugs even by friends of colleagues. We also do not want to wait until a security detail from any one who runs berserk one day and begins to spray everyone inside the hall with bullets before we secure ourselves. The press center committee should be able to monitor and ensure that the place is always secured from overzealous security details or hoodlums no matter how highly placed afterwards every registered member knows how to comport himself based on our ethics. It is our carelessness that gave the army boys the freedom to work into our centre and pick one of us like a hawk picking chicken before the scale fell from our eyes and we realized that we must go and get the fellow. They were supposed to see the chairman and make their complaints for him to intervene and not to pounce on members like Chicken before any one of us get to know about it. This cannot happen in the bar centre of the NBA.

As a rider to this, most of you my colleagues were there when I raised that critical issue as a motion for action to a former theatre Commander General Ali while he came in to ponder over and advise his overzealous boys accordingly before they repeat the mistake twice. I told him point blank that we have gone passed the stage where the security operatives will go after journalists as if they are endangered species to be roasted for Sala or Easter. Invite our people if they wrong you and we will march into the barracks and iron out the issues like comrades in arms and pen are supposed to do. That is the ideal that is expected.

Why security details should stop bringing arms to the centre

Even though Vips are allowed into the centre on invitation, no orderly of vips should be allowed to bring his arms into the holiest shrine of the centre and that is the hall where news conferences are held. It’s a big wrong and should never be allowed to happen. That is the standard anywhere in the world and we should not tolerate such arrogance from any of them especially the DSS where some of their trainee boys view themselves as untouchable.
Doing this is completely opposite to the norms of the free press we preach about. And anyone who refuses to comply does not have respect for us as the fourth estate of the realm. Bringing armed details who will be manning our doors for us when we are supposed to man the entrances for ourselves is a way of inviting what happened in Kaduna to Comrade Sani to happen in maiduguri one day and I say God forbid to that. We cannot stand and look at such abominations happen and we let it go because they are guarding a Governorship candidate. If we allow them, the worse may soon be visited on us.

All over the world, arms are not allowed into certain areas for the sake of mutual respect and accordance of status and prestige into the hall. Each time we watch the President of America walk into the hall meant for news conferences, he walks in alone in spite of the fact that he is the most protected human being on earth. Each journalist that is in that hall is well screened before entering the white house. That is the ideal in spite of the fact of whatever fears the intelligence guys may have against us. And Mark you their phones or tablets to work with are not seized from them.
As an aside, you do not run press conferences inside the government house without the chair of the NUJ present for instance. That is a wrong that must be corrected one day.

Binocular: Why weapons are not tolerated inside the business hall of the NUJ during news conferences

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International Police Academy – UNIPOL Appoints Joseph Icha, as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section

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4 hours ago

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August 21, 2025

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International Police Academy – UNIPOL Appoints Joseph Icha, as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The international Police Academy (UNIPOL) has Appointed Deputy Commander General (DCG) Joseph Icha,
Director Training and Manpower Development, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section.

A statement from the academy’s management stated that “the academy proudly announces the appointment of
DCG Joseph Icha, Director Training and Manpower Development, NDLEA as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section.

“This appointment recognizes
DCG Joseph Icha, Director Training and Manpower Development, NDLEA. exceptional contributions to national security, law enforcement leadership, and international cooperation.”

Icha has served the Agency in various Senior Management capacities as Principal Staff Officer, Assistant State Commander, Assistant Director, State Commander, and Deputy Director among others, with commendations.

The new international counter narcotics boss has attended several law enforcement courses on Drug Supply Suppression and Drug Demand Reduction within and outside the country.

“He is a Master Trainer with the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) in Drug Law Enforcement intelligence led investigation strategies and Criminal Intelligence. ” said the statement.

Joseph Icha has facilitated training programmes on behalf of UNODC to various law enforcement agencies in the country.

DCG Joseph Icha is a Law Enforcement Operative, mentor, curriculum designer, and advisor per excellence.

He is also a member of several international professional Organizations and currently is the Director Training and Manpower Development of NDLEA.

This important appointment was pronounced under the leadership of Dr. Alexander Jan M (Hany El Zahar), Executive Director, Founder, and CEO of the International Police Academy – UNIPOL, and IPA President (Rtd.) Senior Superintendent of Police Shuaib Adam HSC OLY VJ, International Director of Law Enforcement, Police, and Military, with the support of Prof. Yuval Binstoc (IPA) and Sir Junustia Brecen.

International Police Academy – UNIPOL Appoints Joseph Icha, as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section

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Plateau State Complied with the deadline for 2024 Audited financial Reports…. Manset

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4 hours ago

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August 21, 2025

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Plateau State Complied with the deadline for 2024 Audited financial Reports…. Manset

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Plateau State Accountant General Naanret Manset has said that it was not true that Plateau state has refused to comply with the deadline given to states for the submission of 2024 audited financial statements.

Reacting to a report published recently, the accountant general in a statement noted that “the attention of the Office of the Accountant-General of Plateau State has been drawn to a publication by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) titled ‘It’s Past Deadline, 5 States Fail to Publish 2024 Financial Statements’, which wrongly lists Plateau State as one of the defaulters.”

Naanret Manset maintained that “For the record, Plateau State fully complied with all statutory timelines for the preparation, audit, and publication of its 2024 audited financial statements

“Submitted same to the Auditor-General in May, 2025 which is within the stipulated period of 6 months.

“Audit completed in June, 2025 and forwarded to the House of Assembly which is also within the stipulated period of 3 months.

“Approved by the House of Assembly
Published online on 27 July 2025, below the legal timeline of 9 months.
The audited report is publicly available here:

“We urge FIJ to promptly correct their publication and remove Plateau State from the list of non-compliant states.
Plateau State remains committed to transparency, accountability, and timely financial reporting.” It noted.

The FIJ had recently published that six Nigerian states are yet to publish their audited financial statements for the 2024 fiscal year.

It revealed that five of such erring states have already past their statutorily implied deadlines which Plateau is saying is not true as it applies to them.

The publication had said that ” erring states are Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau and Rivers.

“In Akwa Ibom’s case, its amended 2021 audit law gives the auditor general up to nine months to publish the report online after submitting it to the House of Assembly.

“The Accountant General has six months to present the books, followed by a 90-day audit and submission period.

” In the other five states, audit laws differ in the year they were enacted or updated, but the process is similar.

“The Accountant General must submit the financial documents to the audit office within three months after the financial year ends.

” The Auditor General is then required to audit the report, send it to the House of Assembly and publish it immediately.

“The Ogun State Audit Law (2021), Rivers State Audit Law (2021, as amended), Akwa Ibom State Audit Law (2021), Oyo State Audit Commission Law (2021) and Plateau State Audit Law (2021) all set out these requirements.

” In Rivers, however, publishing the audit is left to the discretion of the Auditor General.

“In past years, these states have published their audits between June and August. Some have also been ranked among the lowest in transparency.

” The CJID Openness Index, released in July 2024, placed all six in the bottom tier along with 10 others.”

Recently, FIJ reported Akwa Ibom’s repeated disregard for budgetary transparency despite binding provisions in its Fiscal Responsibility Law.

The FIJ report maintained that two states Yobe and Ekiti, scored above average for transparency and accountability in 2024, with 73 per cent and 54 per cent, according to the Sub national Audit Efficacy Index, published by the Paradigm Leadership Initiative.

The report noted that the annual assessment, which measures financial transparency and policy adoption across Nigeria’s state governments, shows a familiar trend: “stagnation or decline.”

Plateau State Complied with the deadline for 2024 Audited financial Reports…. Manset

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Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

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4 hours ago

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August 21, 2025

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Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

…cautions against misrepresentation of position on dialogue with bandits…

By: Zagazola Makama

Prof. Abubakar Usman Ribah, a peace advocate and member of the Peace Committee, has cautioned social media users against misrepresenting his views on dialogue with bandits as a strategy for sustaining peace in the troubled North West Zone.

Ribah, in a video made available to newsmen on Wednesday, said his comments on dialogue had been twisted and circulated on Facebook, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), in ways that fuel misunderstanding and hostility.

He urged users to “fear God and stop changing the narrative to suit their own views,” stressing that selective quoting of his remarks was misleading and unfair.

“Social media users should fear God and stop changing the narrative that goes contrary to our own views. You are quoting a segment that suits your narratives, leaving out the rest, and continue to circulate it. That is misrepresentation,” Ribah said.

He explained that his position on dialogue was not in support of paying levies or ransoms to bandits but in favour of a government-led engagement that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

“We believe that fighting with guns only prolongs crises. For 10 years, it has not yielded results, and that is why we wanted to end it through dialogue.

“And the dialogue we are seeking is not the one where villagers go on their own to negotiate with bandits, pay levies in order to farm, or pay ransom to release family members. That type of dialogue is not sustainable. It is betrayal.

“The dialogue we support is the one led by government, where authorities can solve the pressing issues between farmers and herders, and address the needs and demands of all conflicting parties,” he said.

Ribah clarified that his advocacy for dialogue predated the current administration and had been consistent for more than seven years.

“This did not start with this government. I have been engaging in dialogue for over seven years. You can go through my pages. War cannot end war, but dialogue will, if both conflicting parties agree. This is what we are talking about,” he said.

The peace advocate dismissed allegations that he and other members of the Peace Committee were shielding or supporting bandits.

“Some are accusing us of supporting bandits, some are accusing us of giving them protection. But how can we protect bandits that are killing people? No way. What we want is to stop the bloodshed, where everyone will be allowed to go about his normal life,” he stressed.

Ribah further accused some social media commentators of being “conflict entrepreneurs,” whom he said benefitted from circulating negative reports of attacks.

“Some people benefit from telling negative stories of attacks. They are conflict entrepreneurs. We want them to focus on telling positive stories instead of dwelling on negativity,” he added.

The North West Zone, particularly Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, has for years been plagued by banditry, mass killings, abductions, and forced displacement, with government and stakeholders divided over the most effective approach to peacebuilding.

Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

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