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Search for missing Army General: NUJ
expresses displeasure with Army over undue harassment of journalist, others.
By Udante Ugante
October 08, 2018
The Plateau
state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has expressed concern
on the way and manner the Nigerian Army is going about intimidating and harassing
people in its search for missing Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).
The Union in
a statement jointly signed by Paul Jatau and Peter Amine Chairman and Secretary
of the union respectively, stated that the arbitrary harassment, intimidation
and arrest of members of the public as part of their search is a thing of worry
to it. The union further observed with regrets that the army on Saturday in a statement
assured the public that it will exhibit high level professionalism according to
international standard in the search but what is on display contradicts the
assurances stressing that the same Saturday, a member of the Union who is a
reporter with the Punch Newspapers was arrested alongside other persons by the
army and detained for 28 hours in Rukuba Barracks as part of the search.
The body of
the pen profession further said that it expected the Nigerian Army to conduct
its intelligence and go after those they suspected and not to engage in arresting
anybody in sight.
Continuing,
the Union said, “We recall that at the commencement of the evacuation of water
from Dura Du pond in Jos South, the Army told the public that they have
credible intelligence that the missing general's car was in the pond and true
to their word, the car was retrieved from the pond.
"We
expect them to use the same intelligence they used to locate the car to go
after the suspects as they continue the search for Gen. Alkali or his body.
"We are
perturb because innocent people are not spared by the crude method they have
employed thereby instilling fear and overheating the polity.
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