Nigeria: Angry mob attacks journalist

An angry mob attacked Abubakar Tahir, a reporter for Manjaha Newspaper, on 23 September as he was covering the devastating floods in Ganuwar, Kuka village in Hadejia local government of Jigawa State in northwest Nigeria.

A journalist sits outside a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria. Credit: Kola Sulaimon / AFP.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns this unwarranted assault on a journalist who was simply doing his job.

A police statement said “the mob almost drowned journalist Abubakar Tahir. It took the intervention of some good Samaritans in the area that he was saved from being lynched by the angry youth in the village.” His mobile phone was destroyed in the process

The journalist was escorted to the District head’s house where he was provided with new clothes and later taken to Hadejia General Hospital for treatment.

The IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: "Abubakar Tahir was only doing his job as a journalist to inform and educate the public about the devastating flood. There is an urgent need for citizens to understand that journalists are not their enemies but are simply executing their duties in the public interest. We wish Abubakar a swift recovery and call on the Nigerian government to ensure the security and safety of journalists.”

For more Information, please contact the IFJ - Africa Office

1st Floor, Maison de la Presse, 5 Rue X Corniche, Medina,

BP 64257, Dakar, Senegal

Tel: +221- 33 867 95 86/87; Fax: +221- 33 827 02