From Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki
Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ebonyi State Council has banned journalists from covering events in Ezza North Local Government Area.
State Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Samson Nwafor and the Secretary, Nnamdi Akpa, in a communique made available to our correspondent after an emergency congress, explained that the decision was taken due to an attack on journalists at Nkomoro Community in Ezza North.
It would be recalled that the State Correspondent of The Sun Newspaper, Uchenna Inya, Chinelo Okoro and Godwin Oguta, both of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Unity FM, Abakaliki, were attacked at Nkomoro, last Saturday by suspected hoodlums during a chieftaincy coronation.
The union described the attack on the journalists as not only crude and barbaric, but a clear attempt to intimidate, subdue and force media practitioners into self censorship.
They bemoaned the unconcerned attitude of people of the community over the unprovoked attack, as they are yet to sympathise with the victims more than four days after the incident.
The union leaders noted that the silence is an indication that the attack was deliberately planned and executed by the entire community.
They directed members of NUJ in the state to henceforth desist from covering events in Ezza North pending when relevant authorities in the council prevail on the people of Nkomoro Community or the perpetrators of this dastardly act to adequately compensate the victims for their losses and tender unreserved written apology to them and copy the union.
