Journalists in Federal Capital Territory on Monday submitted a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, demanding expedite action in locating Tordue Henry Salem, Journalist and Correspondent with The Vanguard Newspapers who has been missing for 12 days now.
The petition signed by Chairman of Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche and Secretary, Ochiaka Ugwu, commended the IGP effort and those of his officers and men in tackling the myriad of security challenges facing the country at the moment.
The journalists reminded the IGP that their colleague Tordue Henry Salem of the Vanguard Newspapers went missing on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, right in front of the Total Filing Station less than a 100 meters from the Force Headquarters.
They said it is regrettable that 12 days after Mr. Tordue Henry Salem disappeared nothing much has happened to indicate whether he is alive or dead; whether he is captive of the state, a non-state or an alien.
They also reminded the IGP that the State owes every Nigerian, particularly a journalist, protection and assurance of safety.
“Nigeria has continued to fare badly on the Press Freedom Index for six successive years and it will be most unfortunate if the disappreance of Mr. Tordue Henry Salem adds to the poor rating. In 2020, a report of Reporters Without Borders shows that Nigeria went five spots down the Press Freedom Index from 115 to 120 out of 180 countries, with the telling remark that Nigeria remains “one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.
“Also, a June 2021 report of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and Media Foundation for West Africa revealed that the media industry recorded seven unresolved killings, 300 violations, affecting about 500 journalists, media workers, and media houses in Nigeria.
“What all these underscore is that the prevailing environment is unsafe, suffocating and dangerous not just for journalists and other media workers but for the sustenance of democracy itself.
“It is in this wise that we are here to demand that Mr. Tordue Henry Salem not only be found, but that adequate protection be offered journalists going forward. That the culture of harassment, intimidation, brutalization and disappearances ends. Our demand is reinforced by the fact that as we approach 2023, a General Elections year in Nigeria, the political and economic elites become more desperate to hang on to power and because they will not want to be held accountable to the Nigerian people, the media becomes their major target. This culture of impunity should and must be arrested by the Nigeria Police as the primary security agencies as well as other sister agencies.
“Regarding Mr. Tordue Henry Salem, we demand that the case be transferred to a Special Unit of the IGP. While we appreciate the efforts of the FCT Command, the magnitude of the disappearance demands for a highly tactical, focused and coordinated Unit under the Office of the IGP,” the petition read.
The journalists further demanded confidential briefing with his family, leadership of the Union and his employers to calm frayed nerves, while assuring of their cooperation in the investigation.
“Let us reiterate that for every journalist that is harassed, assaulted, disappears and murdered, the constitutional guarantee as contained in Chapter 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 as Amended is threatened, democracy is weakened and good governance is impossible. The IGP it is for these reasons and more, that your office urgently needs to provide answer, which is locating and reuniting Mr. Tordue Henry Salem with his family,” the petition added.
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