By Correspondent in Minna
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger state Council, has given the state government one week ultimatum to expedite action towards immediate release and safe return of 136 pupils of Islamiyya and other hostages langusihing in the den of their abductors.
The union also wants the state government to ban the taskforce, saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the ban on commercial motorcycles, for going beyond their scope of operations, including being brutal or excessive use of force resulting in the death of about three persons and imprisonment of others, including a journalists.
A Communique issued at the end of the meeting in Minna,signed by George Duniya and Uthman Siraja, Chairman and Secretary of Communique drafting committee,respectively urged the state government to apply same zeal used in rescuing the Governor’s mother.
According to the council the state government should also used such method it used in rescuing the zonal chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in rescusing the children and other hostages still in the armed bandits’ den.
The journalists wondered why the state government was creating an impression that some persons were inferior to others, adding that “it is sad that for almost three months, the children are still held captive while many have died due to harsh weather conditions exposed to.
“Niger state police command claimed that the commissioner for information was released when the combined security force trailed the kidnappers, the same strategy should be displayed to secure the release of others still in captivity, especially the Tagina islamiyya children who have spent about three months.
“Farmers no longer go to their farms for fear of being killed and people are dying daily out of hunger caused by high cost of available foods in the market, this need urgent attention,hence the call on the state government to act.”
While expressing gratitude to God for sparing the life of the Commissioner and the APC Chieftain, the union challenged the Abubarkar Sani Bello-led government to live of to its responsibility of protecting lives and property of citizenry.
On the activities of taskforce to end operations of commercial motorcycles (Okada), the journalists called on the state government to immediately call the taskforce and others confiscating plate numbers from people’s car at the market, to order to avoid breakdown of law and order.
The 10-point communique also indicates that, “The taskforce using excessive force and brutal now terrorize innocent people and hounding them into prison, including a journalist living in Koropma who was arrested and detained for attempting to record thier activities in Koropma”.
Some people who committed no offence are sometimes pursued to their homes and in some cases, beaten for committing no offence except that they were found along the route the taskforce was operating and some shops looted, this the union said must stop to avoid throwing the state into chaos.
The union is also worried about the deplorable state of infrastructure, road network in particular and therefore call on the Governor Bello led APC administration to ensure speedy completion of the; Chanchaga-Minna road, Mandella road, the market roads and the abandoned, Dutsen Kura-Gwari road.
