: IPC CONDEMNS HARASSMENT,
DETENTION OF JOURNALIST
Following brutal military operation in Dura-Du in Jos South
Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State over missing Major General Idris
Alkali (rtd), the related arbitrary arrests of citizens including the Plateau
State Correspondent of Punch Newspaper, Mr. Paul Barde who was harassed and
incarcerated in military custody for about 28 hours, the International Press
Centre (IPC), Lagos - Nigeria has called on the military authorities to act
with civility.
The call by IPC is in respect to media report on infringement of
human rights of the citizens – This Day newspaper had reported that Mr. Barde
came back Sunday night after spending about 28 hours behind bars over a former
Chief of Administration in Nigerian Army, General Mohammed Idris Alkali (rtd),
who has been declared missing in questionable circumstances.”
According to Mr. Barde, “On Saturday October 6, 2018, I went to
the UBA ATM and did cash transaction and decided to buy Irish potatoes and eggs
at the popular ANNE BREEZE RESTAURANT in Rayfield area of Jos. The waiters have
not brought my food when soldiers in two lorry trucks (about 30 of them), all
masked and armed, swooped on the place, shot indiscriminately at sight and
arrested every human being they sighted.”
The Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, reacting to this
condemnable act said that, the harassment and illegal detention of Mr. Barde
and other members of the public was a gross violation of their fundamental
human rights.
“We expect the Army to use their intelligence to carry out their
investigation professionally without having to intimidate members of the public
or impede on their fundamental human rights. It is disturbing that innocent
people are not spared by the cruel method they have adopted in search for the
missing General.”
SGD:
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