By Hussaini Yero
An old saying cum adage has referred to the’pen’ especially referring to the one used by journalists as mightier than the gun, by extension meaning, it can bring both positive and negative changes, depending on the person using it.
This was contained in a statement by the Hon.Nasiru Garba
State Coordinator
Jaji Vanguard
Zamfara State
to Newman in Gusau.
With the emergence of social media however, it’s not only the professional journalist that has the power to transmit information on any given matter to the wider world but it is now an all-comers affair without regards to decorum or legal implications.
Such is the case in Zamfara where some mischief makers hide from only God knows where and write nasty or inciting reports on Zamfara while the state is battling to free itself from the fangs of armed bandits and other very dangerous criminals who have made it their hub.
Such bandit writers who sometimes play into the hands of bad politicians in exchange for paltry sum as gratification, are recently demonstrated through one faceless Ahmed Abubakar Birane who claimed to be the chairman of an unknown body in the state that goes by the title, Zamfara North Progressive Movement to sit as judge and jury in a case that has been investigated by the Police Command in the state and robbing in the names of political leaders while painting them in very bad light.
A purported press briefing said to have been addressed by the same Birane delved into a politically motivated case involving acts of banditry and kidnapping suddenly dragged in the House of Representatives member representing Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji in the national assembly, Hon. Sani Jaji just to fulfill the whims of his sponsors.
The purported press briefing has no address, not even the state where it held, no date nor publishing houses that were represented which further exposed the fact of the originator’s motifs.
This sensitive issue calls for an urgent need for security agencies to swing into action and arrest such rumour mongers using the social media to further cause havoc to the already battered state of Zamfara and its people before they escalate.
When the fabricated lies indicated that Hon. Jaji had put pressure on the police to release Hon. Ibrahim who was invited by the Police to give his own account over a security issue, the half-witted brainless writer forgot that he had mentioned that the man was released on bail and even without this, we are strongly demanding he provides unquestionably convincing evidence where and how Jaji put pressure for the release of Hon. Ibrahim.
Members of the public should discountenance such irresponsible writeups aimed at over heating the polity.
It is still fresh in our memories what and how Jaji positively impacted on the image of the national assembly when he served as Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Security, the legacy that is still on his trails.
While we have urged the security to fish out these bad elements from wherever they may be operating, we are also preparing to seek redress in a competent court of law against them to serve as deterrent.
