Plateau State Council of the Nigerian Union of journalists, NUJ, said that its attention has been drawn to the maltreatment of one of its members, Mallam Bayo Alabira of the People’s Daily Newspapers by men of the Special Task Force (STF) deployed to maintain peace in Jos.
In a statement signed by chairman of the council, Katdapba Gobum and Secretary Isaac Shobayo respectively said that the way and manner the STF men stationed at Zololo junction within the state capital manhandled the reporter to the extent of inflicting deep cuts all over his body was a big shock to it considering the fact that no weapon was found on him except his camera and tape recorder.
The Council learnt that the man was accosted while trying to take picture of some scenes of the crisis that occurred on Monday, after explaining his mission and where he works, men of the STF descended on him with gun butts and inflicted wounds on him.
Despite repeated cry by the reporter that he is a Journalist and was hypertensive, the Union said that the men of the STF kept kicking him until he was unconscious and abandoned by the military men, some Good Samaritan within the vicinity later came to his recue and conveyed him to a place where a call was put across to one of his colleagues, who mobilised others and took him to Sauki Hospital where he was treated.
The action of the men of the STF, NUJ said was nothing but a display of insensitivity and a show of shame considering the fact that nothing incriminating was found on him.
The Council therefore demanded an unreserved apology from the command within seven days, following which appropriate action would be taken against the command.
Also reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser to the Plateau State governor on Media and Publicity, Hon. Ayuba Pam, described the action of the Special Task Force as unfortunate and said that the state government was very sad over the development.
He said, “we least expect that it will degenerate to this extent for men of the STF who have been working very closely with the journalists, to suddenly turn to begin to beat the journalists with the boot of their guns”.
The government spokesman further stated that the government considered the action of the STF “irresponsible” and promised that the government would soon come into the matter.