Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has urged the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, to take decisive action over the alleged assault on Albarka Radio reporter, Mohammed Adamu, by officers under his command, stressing that condemnation alone is not enough.
The group said the Nigeria Police Force must take concrete steps to prevent further attacks on journalists.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nafiu Habib, had earlier said the commissioner met with the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Albarka Radio management, and relatives of the journalist, where he condemned the incident and promised a full investigation.
Responding to the development, MRA’s Communications Officer, Idowu Adewale, welcomed the condemnation but insisted that past assurances had not stopped recurring harassment, unlawful arrests, and assaults on journalists by security agencies across the country.
He said a transparent investigation must include identifying all officers involved and imposing appropriate sanctions.
Adewale also recommended the immediate suspension of the Divisional Police Officer, SP Jamilu Kabir, who was allegedly involved in the assault, warning that allowing him to remain in office could undermine the integrity of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Albarka Radio management has also called for Kabir’s suspension.
In a statement, General Manager Dauda Ciroma described the incident as a “vicious, unprovoked and dehumanising assault” on its staff and demanded maximum sanctions if the officers are found culpable, while urging the police to ensure a transparent probe.