Skip to main content

The Agony of Investigative Journalism

   

     They were being incarcerated, assassinated, or even frustrated out of life. These have been a recycle living of any investigative journalist. The real matter that pained to the heart is the war the Federal Government is waging against journalism as a profession. Journalist and Government are now eyes and pepper that doesn't want to come in contact. It is a national disgrace to Nigeria seeing her jailing, killing and investigating any constructive criticism written by activists/investigative journalists. Can a country actually survive without being given freedom to the press? Actually no. The New York-based  Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) conducted and published a three-year research in December 2018 leaving the record at not fewer than 251 journalists who were jailed worldwide. Is this what the world has been keeping silent on, is this how we should be treated? Nigerian government alone has a kind of maltreatment against the profession. The voices were speaking through a hollow pipe and now they were trying to block all these means to put the country in total darkness. 
   The tectonic of reproducing faithfulness to the society can't be over-emphasize in a country that has the will and might like Nigeria. We were all there when almost all the activists and investigative journalists were being threatening of death and jail. Jones Abiri, Agba Jalingo, Steven Kefason, Dadiyata and Sowore were all part and parcel of these threats. The only trial they've liking with them is TREASON. Treason, why being charged for planning to overthrow the government? I haven't seen where a government official who squandered the government's money is being charged to court. The brutality they've released on them is more than what could be imagined by anybody. Are they armed robbers, do they steal government property? Actually no.
    Strongly to be precise,  the government doesn't want their illicit activities to be brought before the masses. All they could do is to sentence anyone who is found guilty of hate speech or writing death by hanging. What did they do to those behind Ikoyi apartment billions, Gandollar among others? It is so unfortunate that the government is not addressing the issue that needs a great concern. 
   A writer and investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo did research on corrupt activities in Nigerian police cells, courtroom and prisons. He spent two weeks conducting this research, spent 5 days in Pedro, Shomolu police cell and 8 days in ikoyi, Lagos prison.
    After unveiling the corrupt practices which he tagged #CashandCarry on his twitter handle that geared up a hullabaloo on social media. Some days after, we learned the government is looking for him and ready to prosecute him. They all know what he did was actually correct and tally with the way our prisons, courtroom and police cells have turned to. Upon coming across the material Mr. Fisayo did, it really saddened to have the picture of how corruption has eaten our correctional centers and police cells. After seeing such work, I myself prayed and congratulated him for a job well done. Also, an activist, Deji Adeyanju, he was arrested 6 times in 2018 and sent to prison 3 times. According to an interview conducted through him via his twitter handle, he said: "The goal was to charge him for terrorism so I wouldn't get bail which was why I was sent to Keffi prison. When that failed, they dug up an old case where I was discharged and acquitted." So traumatic that our government whom we rely on is the one sending us to the lion's den. 
    Now come the era of hate speech. You say nonsense, you pay 10million as a fine or death by hanging. To me, they are trying to shun investigative journalism/Activism because, after the research of any investigative journalistic work, it is usually offensive, prone to anger and hard to believe. It is like paradox which when puzzled on, the meaning becomes clearer. 

 BABALOLA, Writer, Journalist, and Activist.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sources in Journalism

Sources in Journalism -Kinds of attributional sources in news journalism Source in journalism is like a friend to journalists. They can't do without each other. Source is the backbone most media organizations and journalists rely on. Journalists get information through interviews and sources. Before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the New York Times and most media news in the USA rely on anonymous sources for their publication. Source can be, anonymous, user-generated content, social media or inter-personal etc. Sources are the fundamental thing that distinguishes us as a journalist. It is what makes us unique from those who write opinions. Sources are essential to building trust and that's the beauty of journalism. Professional journalists always want to keep themselves away from their story and follow what sources said. Sources can fail most time and that's why it advisable to have a variety of sources. Sources add beauty, information, worth, and above all credibility to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

General Yakubu Gowon Clocks 85

General Yakubu Gowon Clocks 85         Today marks another journey of 365days in the life of a one-time Military head of state, Nationalist, Elder statesman and Patriotic symbol.        General Yakubu Gowon was born on October 19 1964 into a christainity home. His parents, Nde Yohanna and Matwok Kurnyang was a CMS member who had once traveled to Russia, Zaria as a Church missionary society. Gowon was the fifth of eleven children. He grew up in Zaria and had his early life and education there. At school, Gowon proved to be a very good athlete: he was the school football goalkeeper, pole vaulter, and long-distance runner. He broke the school mile record in his first year. He was also the boxing captain.        He joined the Nigerian army in 1954 where he first received a commission as a second lieutenant in 1955. He saw action in the Congo (Zaire) as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, both i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Will Aisha Buhari be able to Tolerate Fatimah Daura's heat in Aso villa?

Will Aisha Buhari be able to Tolerate Fatimah Daura's heat in Aso villa?        It is about a week now that the video where Aisha Buhari was seen shouting at one of her family members, Fatimah Daura surfaced online. In the video, Fatimah Daura was blocking Aisha from entering the Aso villa.  However, this reaction has made Nigerians on social media wondered how this could be happening under the roof of a president. According to some Nigerians on the microblogging platform, they felt that it will be difficult for the president to control the recurring insecurity in state when he can't manage his family. After her return from UK on October 13th, 2019. She narrated the whole scenario when she was interviewed by BBC Hausa. "I was the one in that video and this person you see standing at my back are my security personnel,” the First Lady narrated. “It was Fatima, the daughter of Mamman Daura that shot the video in front of my security and everybody t...
Post a Comment
Read more