The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today strongly condemned
the brutal murder of Nigerian journalist, Zakariyya Isa, a reporter with the
state-run Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
According to the information received by FAJ, Zakariyya Isa, was shot dead on
Saturday, 22 October, around 7:30 pm in front of his house in Bulunkutu area of
the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri. Gunmen associated with the
radical Boko Haram sect are suspected to be behind the murder of the television
journalist.
"We express our solidarity with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) at this
sad moment when they mourn the death of a fellow journalist," said Omar Faruk
Osman, FAJ President. "We send our heart-felt condolences to the NUJ, and
through the union, to the family of the murdered journalist."
The FAJ said that journalists are increasingly being targeted by violent groups in Nigeria and warned that the appalling murder of Isa is unlikely to be the last if no concrete measures are put in place to provide media with adequate protection.
Maiduguri has been hit by a string of deadly bomb and gun attacks attributed to
Boko Haram. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the killing, Boko
Haram threatened in a statement in Maiduguri that was issued in September to
attack media organizations, particularly some foreign media, over what it
described as misrepresentation of its activities in the country.
For more information
contact the FAJ at +221 33 867 95 86/87
The FAJ represents over
50,000 journalists in 40 countries in Africa
