Thugs invade Zamfara NUJ press centre, beat chairman to stupor

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3 years ago

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Armed thugs have invaded the Zamfara State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Press Centre, Gusau, and beat the council chairman, Ibrahim Musa Maizare, to a stupor.

The thugs who arrived at the press centre around 11 am, on Thursday, attacked and beat up the Chairman of the NUJ with sticks, threatening to deal with journalists in the state as well.

The thugs went haywire after the chairman of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Musa Maizare, asked some workers who were at the NUJ Shops Complex at the Union’s Secretariat to stop the ongoing renovation because the shop will be used as campaign office of one of the political parties.

The hoodlums said they won’t stop the work because it was given to them by a politician, saying, as long as that politician is breathing they would never vacate the place.

The NUJ shop was initially hired as a restaurant but after the tenant left the restaurant business it was converted into a campaign office by the thugs.

When a team of police arrived at the NUJ Secretariat, the thugs continued to haul insults at the officials and other members of the Union, the police had to quickly leave the place.

It could be recalled that the said shop was burnt by rival thugs in 2021 and the NUJ asked the thugs to vacate the office for fear of putting the whole NUJ Complex and other shops attached to it at risk.

Addressing, newsmen shortly after the incident, the Secretary of the Union Ibrahim Ahmad Gada asked the security agencies to protect the lives and property of journalists adding that the lives of working journalists in the state are seriously in danger.

“If armed thug can threaten to kill working journalists what do you expect? The safety of all working journalists must be guaranteed.

“We are calling all the stakeholders to intervene. How can a thug dictate the way we can use our property in the state,” Gada said.

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