Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists Correspondents Chapel working in Gombe have been attacked and injured by angry mobs barely ten minutes after presidential rally of President Good luck Jonathan.
The journalists who were trying to escape from the bomb blast that rocks the town some few minutes after the presidential rally were caught into the attack by the mobs at Pantai quarters and narrowly escaped the attack.
The angry mobs who were chatting “bamu yi, sai Buhari” meaning “we are not in support, we only want Buhari” in Hausa, while throwing stones at the journalists, despite the journalists effort to explain who they were.
Speaking on the incident, chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Mr Timothy Choji, described the incident as unfortunate, saying it is worrisome when journalists are attacked while discharging duties to the public.
According to him, such ugly incidents were usually generated from incisive massages and brainwashing of party followers against other parties by politicians.
” Journalists are not partisan and will never be, we are out to serve the society, and there is no reason why journalists should be attacked. I think it boils down to illiteracy by the perpetrators of this act, and also brainwashing of electorates by the politicians who are using religion as their only platform to assume leadership positions by all means.” He added.
He however called on continue to protect lives and properties of the people as well as ensure safety of journalists and the general public particularly during elections.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Gombe State Council,Comrade Alhassan Yahaya has condemned the attack on the journalists, he assured the journalists that the the state council will take up the matter to the authority concern with a view to ensure safety of journalists in the state.
“We condemn this act in totality, and we want the public to know that journalist are not partisan and will never be. We want to assure you that we will report this issue to the authorities concern.”
He called on all working journalists in the state to adhere strictly to the ethics of the profession in their reporting as well as ensure they subscribe to the Life Insurance Scheme of the NUJ, even as he called on the state government to pay the insurance scheme for the journalists as it happens in other states.
