NUJ kicks as Iyaloja of Ilorin market sues Vanguard correspondent
THE Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ), Kwara State Council, has described as unfortunate the dragging of the state Vanguard Newspaper correspondent, Demola Akinyemi, to court over a publication about the Iyaloja ( woman leader) of Oja Tuntun market, Mrs
Maryam Arolahun, five months ago.
The state NUJ chairman, Abdullateef ‘ Lanre Ahmed, lamented that media practitioners are not duly appreciated in Nigeria.
He said: “When a matter is before a competent court of jurisdiction, you need to tread softly on what to say. But it is painful and unfortunate that this matter would take this route, instead of areas of possibility to get it resolved.”
He, however, hinted that the council had swung into action by involving the Chairman of the Ilorin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA), Mr Kamaldeen Gambari, and was exploring other avenues “for out- of- court settlement.”
He added: “No amount of intimidation would make journalists in Kwara compromise.”
Also, the state correspondents’ chapel chairman, Abdulhakeem Garba, urged Nigerians to appreciate the media and its practitioners more by exploring their “right to reply” including retractions, “rather than dragging the societal protectors and watchdogs to courts at every opportunity”.
Akinyemi was arraigned before Magistrate Balkis Baraje at the Revenue Court in Ilorin on Wednesday, over alleged criminal conspiracy, defamation and falsehood filed by Arolahun, who cited a publication in the paper’s online medium, titled ‘ Kwara market women threaten to protest naked over colleague’s mysterious death’.