By Abba Kabara, Gusau.
Zamfara state NUJ council chairman Comrade Ibrahim Maizare today in the morning, narrowly escaped death in the hands of alleged government thugs.
The genesis of the unfortunate incidence is traced to about ten years ago when one of the then youths leaders rented one of the NUJ press center shops on agreement that the property would be used as consumer shop.
As time went on, the shop begun to change into an enclave of political thugs, posing threats and imminent dangers to the entire correspondence journalists in the state who frequent the press center building as a resort.
During the previous administration of governor Abdulaziz Yari, the property was burnt down, allegedly by thugs in which some innocent shop owners lost lost belongings the fire.
The NUJ then fount it very risky to allow the occupants to renovate the shop for fear of similar incidence.
This morning however, the occupants of the shop, believed to be notorious thugs, mobilised and begun evocation work on the damaged shop.
On noticing this, the council chairman moved to stop the exercise until his council meets and decide who and how to handle the lob.
It was then the thugs jumped on the chairman and stated caning him, threatening that they will now deal with journalists, even to the extent of killing a member when they feel to do so.
They were claiming that it was the state deputy governor, Hon. Hassan Nasiha who officially allocated the shop to them and somebody would only be risking his life if he dares doing anything in attempt to elect them.
The matter has already been reported to the police while similar report will be issued to all other relevant security organs to protect the security of working journalists in the state.
In a press briefing by the council secretary of the NUJ Comrade Ibrahim Ahmed Gada, the union appeals to the NUJ national council in particular, and all human rights organisations to save working journalists in Zamfara from the deadly possible attacks from organised thuggery against members of the press.
He said already these thugs are openly pronouncing that they are now ready to deal with the correspondents journalists as according to them, “the journalists are working in favour of the PDP opposition lead by its governorship candidate, Alhaji Dauda Lawal Dara”
