The International Press Centre, IPC, Lagos, has frowned at the action of the police in Sokoto who visited the venue of a two-day media workshop on Fact-checking Checking Elections for journalists.
Two policemen led by ASP Aminu Tanko, allegedly from the State Investigation Bureau, Sokoto, visited the Grand Ibro hotel, venue of the workshop on the second day of the event.
The workshop held on the November 12 and 13, 2018.
According to a statement from ICP, the policemen arrived the venue of the workshop organised by AfricaCheck in partnership with the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy and Daily Trust Newspapers, at about 2.30pm on the second day of the workshop, demanding to see the organisers.
READ ALSO: Second Niger Bridge: FG awards N206bn contract for main work – Fashola
Participants at the workshop noted that: “It was strange and shocking that a media workshop on elections being organised for journalists who are tasked with performing key roles as stakeholders in the democratic process would be a subject of investigation by security forces.”
The statement disclosed that the policemen demanded for a copy of the workshop’s programme claiming it was because of the security in Sokoto, and threatening that the workshop could be stopped if the issues of discuss at the media workshop were found to be of security concerns.
They were availed a copy of the programme by David Ajikobi of AfricaCheck even as participants pointed out that “their visit was unusual and smacked of intimidation.”
The facilitators of the workshop which had in attendance about 15 broadcast, print and online journalists, included Ayesha Kajee, an international trainer from South Africa, Lanre Arogundade, Director of International Press Centre and David Ajikobi of AfricaCheck.
The statement said: “The International Press Centre is miffed that this kind of unwarranted visit to a media workshop venue by security forces portend an intimidation of journalists. IPC is therefore calling on the security agency to desist from such acts, which is an aberration and can pose as a hindrance to journalists in the performance of desirable roles that the media should be performing as the 2019 elections approaches.”
