Journalists barred from covering ABU’s 45th convocation

The Security Division of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, on Saturday barred journalists from covering the institution’s 45th Convocation ceremony.

Correspondents from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Daily Trust, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC), Nagarta Radio and NTA Zaria, among others, were denied access to the Mamman Kontagora Square, venue of the ceremony.

NAN reports that a security officer of the university, identified as Mr C.K., said he was acting on the directive of the Chief Security Officer, Malam Ashiru Zango, to deny media personnel access to the venue.

According to him, journalists were required to obtain clearance from the Vice-Chancellor before they could be allowed entry, in spite of presenting valid staff identity cards and accreditation tags issued by the university.

The affected journalists protested the decision, declaring that they had been duly accredited to cover the event.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) intervened and made efforts to reach the Director of Public Affairs of the university, Mallam Auwalu Umar.

Umar assured them that he would intervene to ensure that media were granted access to the venue.

As at the time of filing this report, some journalists had angrily left the convocation venue in protest over the obnoxious development. (NAN)

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