IPI demands investigation into murder of Zamfara reporter
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has called upon the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS), to promptly initiate an investigation into the abduction and subsequent murder of Hamisu Danjibga, a reporter for Voice of Nigeria (VON) in Zamfara State.
Reports indicate that Danjibga was abducted from his residence in Samaru Community, situated in the heart of Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, last Sunday at approximately eight o’clock in the evening.
His family revealed that the abductors contacted them twenty-four hours after the incident, allegedly demanding one million naira as partial payment before setting a full ransom for his release. Tragically, three days later, his lifeless body was discovered in a soakaway within the Samaru Community.
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In a press statement issued today by its Legal Adviser, Mr. Tobi Soniyi, IPI Nigeria described the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s abduction and murder as deeply shocking and concerning.
It emphasized that the audacity with which Danjibga was abducted and killed in a major city like Gusau underscores the growing insecurity in Nigeria.
IPI Nigeria, therefore, reiterated its call for a swift and comprehensive investigation into Hamisu Danjibga’s abduction and murder to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Additionally, it called for enhanced security measures to safeguard journalists and citizens across all regions of Nigeria.
Hamisu Danjibga was one of the journalists reporting the activities of criminal elements, especially armed bandits, kidnappers and their collaborators.
“We believe he was targeted because of his profession as a journalist”, IPI Nigeria said, adding that “Unless the perpetrators of this heinous crime are arrested and prosecuted, they are likely to become emboldened and will go after other journalists”.
IPI Nigeria reiterated its call for protection for journalists and other media professionals across Nigeria, whom it said, are strongly committed to upholding good governance and democracy by protecting the ethos of whistleblowing, as well as freedom of expression in the country.