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Rivers Journalists Demand Justice: NUJ Issues 14 Days Ultimatum Over Police Brutality
The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has firmly demanded a public apology from the Rivers State Police Command within 14 days, following a disturbing incident where five journalists were violently attacked during a peaceful demonstration in Port Harcourt.
The union has warned that failure to comply will result in a comprehensive media blackout across the state.
In a press release jointly signed by Comrade Paul Bazia, Chairman of the NUJ Rivers State Council, and Dr Ijeoma Tubosia, the Council Secretary, the union expressed its outrage at the actions of police personnel involved in the incident.
The five media professionals affected by the attack were Charles Opurum from Channels TV, Allwell Ene of Naija FM, Soibelemari Oruwari of Nigeria Info, Ikezam Godswill from AIT, and Femi Ogunkhilede of Super FM. These individuals were reportedly covering a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt when police officers descended on them without justification.
According to witnesses, the journalists were tear-gassed, with Charles Opurum particularly singled out beaten and unlawfully detained by security operatives.
The NUJ categorised the entire episode as “barbaric and inhumane,” branding it a flagrant breach of the journalists’ constitutional rights and professional responsibilities.
The union, known for its advocacy in defending press freedom and ethical journalism, has described the assault as an unacceptable violation of human rights and journalistic freedom. “As society’s watchdog, the NUJ cannot stand by while its members are brutalised for doing their jobs,” the statement read. “The continued harassment of journalists will no longer be tolerated. We say, enough is enough.”
The NUJ also pointed out that this was not an isolated incident but part of a growing pattern of hostility towards media practitioners in the region. The union warned that such treatment of the press is not only unconstitutional but also dangerous for democracy and public accountability.
As part of its demands, the NUJ has insisted that all officers who participated in the assault be named and prosecuted according to Nigerian law. It called on the police authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly and ensure that justice is served swiftly.
The union has further urged the Rivers State Police Command to take proactive steps in rebuilding trust with the media. According to the NUJ, the police must reaffirm their commitment to protecting citizens, including journalists, rather than infringing on their rights with violence and intimidation.
Despite the severity of the incident, the NUJ emphasised its willingness to maintain a constructive working relationship with the police. The union highlighted that cooperation between security agencies and the media is essential for peace, transparency, and national development.
“We remain committed to dialogue and collaboration,” said the NUJ. “However, we urge the police not to jeopardise this fragile relationship with further hostility.”
In light of the situation, the NUJ has called on its members to remain composed and continue to uphold the laws of the land while the union pursues justice through official channels. It expressed optimism that the police command would act responsibly by taking decisive corrective measures.
The Director-General (D-G) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated that Africa would be minimally impacted by the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump.
Okonjo-Iweala made the remark during an interview with Nigerian journalists at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank in Washington D.C. on Friday.
She explained that only 6.5 per cent of Africa’s exports go to the USA, while 4.4 per cent of its imports come from the U.S., meaning that the impact on the continent would be minimal.
“The trade of the continent is very limited with the USA. We have done the analysis, and the impact on the continent as a whole is not significant,” she said.
However, she noted that Africa’s limited trade with the USA was also not ideal, as it hindered economic growth.
The D-G emphasised that Africa needed to focus on utilising its own resources to reach its full potential, as aid was declining, and the continent required more investment.
She pointed out that Africa must strengthen internal trade, citing Lesotho as an example.
In spite of Lesotho exporting 200 million dollars’ worth of textiles to the USA, the country faced challenges due to the shrinking U.S. market.
Okonjo-Iweala noted that Africa spent 7 billion dollars annually on importing textiles, suggesting that Lesotho should instead focus on selling textiles within African markets.
She also urged the USA to consider the effects of tariffs on least-developed countries, calling for a reassessment of the reciprocal tariffs in poorer nations.
Okonjo-Iweala concluded that Africa needed more investments and should work towards boosting intra-Africa trade, which remained underdeveloped.
“We cannot trade more externally, where our trade is only 3 per cent of world trade, or internally, where intra-Africa trade is 16 to 20 per cent at most,” she said.(NAN)
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the umbrella body of cattle herders in Nigeria, has praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing Mr. Tosin Ajayi as Directo- General of the Department of State Services (DSS), describing the appointment as one of the best by the administration.
MACBAN thanked President Tinubu for creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises to the body and would greatly improve the livestock industry in Nigeria.
The body said the DSS handling of the security situation in Plateau, Benue and other states was with outmost professionalism and deserved commendation.
MACBAN’s statement came a few days after the Plateau State government praised the DSS for being it’s most reliable partner in fighting insecurity in the state. Plateau state government said the DSS helped solve several security problems in the state.
In a statement issued Friday in Abuja, MACBAN charged other security agencies to learn from the way the new DSS leadership has been stepping in to secure life and property, saying it was impressed by efforts by the DSS DG to investigate the root cause of the problems across the states.
The statement was signed by MACBAN national president, Baba Othman Ngelzarma.
Said MACBAN, “We salute the professionalism with which the DSS has been handling the delicate security challenges in Plateau, Benue and several other states.
“Only recently, the DSS DG averted what would have been a very serious security crisis in Enugu State where nine young Fulani men were murdered in cold blood and their corpses dumped in the bush.
“It took painstaking efforts by Mr. Ajayi to help douse tensions.
“We are encouraged by the DG’s belief that there cannot be peace without justice. We are happy that he’s been warding off political pressures to paint law-abiding Fulani herdsmen with the same brush used to paint terrorists and criminals.
“To be sure, there are criminal elements as well as good persons among all races and tribes. We are happy that, under Mr. Ajayi, the DSS has been able to draw the line between criminality and law-abiding Fulani herdsmen who break sweat to earn decent living,” noted MACBAN, adding, “we urge other security agencies to take a cue from the DSS.”
According to the largest body of cattle herders in Nigeria, over 20 percent of its members, and four million heads of cattle, have been forced by insecurity to flee Nigeria, with hundreds of families displaced.
The exodus of herders, noted the group, had raised the cost of beef, the cheapest meat source in Nigeria.
MACBAN promised to cooperate with federal and state governments as well as support security agencies to help restore peace to boost businesses and agricultural economic activities.
MTN Group says it suffered a cybersecurity incident that led to unauthorised access to the personal data of some customers in selected markets.
In a statement on Thursday, the telecoms giant assured stakeholders that its core infrastructure — including its network, billing systems, and financial services platforms — remains secure and fully operational.
The company said an unknown third party claimed responsibility for accessing parts of its system, but added that there was currently no indication that customers’ accounts or mobile money wallets were compromised.
“At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised,” MTN said.
MTN said it immediately activated its cybersecurity response procedures, including informing the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks.
The group said it had also notified the relevant authorities in the affected countries and would continue to work closely with them and law enforcement to support ongoing investigations.
In line with regulatory obligations, the network provider said it had begun notifying affected customers.
The telecoms company urged users to remain vigilant and observe standard security practices, including setting strong passwords, avoiding suspicious messages, and enabling multifactor authentication where available.
“The privacy of information is our top priority, and MTN remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders,” it said.
“To mitigate any fraudulent consequences, a fraud alert can be placed on an individual’s credit report at any of the major credit bureaus.
“Keep MTN, MoMo and banking apps and devices updated.
“Use strong, unique passwords for accounts and change them regularly.
“Be cautious of unexpected messages and do not click on suspicious links.
“Do not disclose information such as passwords, PINs and OTP when asked to do so by phone, text message or email.
“Where multifactor authentication is available, it should be activated.”
MTN added that it would continue to contain and manage the situation “carefully” while keeping stakeholders updated.