Nigerian journalist cries out, alleges threat to life over reports on Kaduna conflicts

A Nigerian journalist based in Abuja, Ibanga Isine, has cried out over alleged threats to his life following his reportage of the several conflicts that have been raging in parts of Kaduna State in the past few years.

Isine who has reportedly gone into hiding over the threats, according to a tweet he put out on Friday, said he fears for his life as many sources linked to him while writing the reports were said to have died in mysterious and controversial circumstances, a situation that compelled him to cry out over his safety.

Shortly before going into hiding, the Akwa Ibom State-born investigative journalist, had posted a distress tweet on his handle with the username @Ibykul, saying he was not a criminal and had not broken any law that would warrant unknown persons sending him death threats. He also called on Nigerians to retweet his tweet and keep sharing the post until his cries gets to the right authorities.

Isine has had brushes with the Kaduna State government, and security agencies in the past which were directed by the state government to effect his arrest.

This is the tweet posted by Isine:

“Please tweet and share until I am free. I am Ibanga Isine. I am a journalist. I am not a criminal. I have not broken any law. Help.”

After he posted about his ordeal, his friends also took to Twitter to express their fears over Isine’s safety amidst the death threats he has been getting from unknown persons.

Read some of the tweets here:

@IFEX: “Investigative journalist @Ibykul goes into hiding, following the death of a number of sources linked to his series on inter-communal conflict in Nigeria’s Kaduna State. Nothing should happen to Isine.”

Read also: Governor El-Rufai warns Kaduna communities against reprisal attacks

@Jakes247: “I’m deeply worried for my friend @Ibykul – one of Africa’s finest investigative journalists who has been forced into hiding following death threats and deaths of key sources in his investigative reports on ethnic/religious violence in #kaduna, Nigeria.”

@KufreCarter: “@elrufai should be held responsible if anything happens to @Ibykul who has repeatedly fled the country follow his report on the massacre in Southern Kaduna and the death of multiple sources to the story. This hounding must stop.”

@DapoLocs: “Nigeria is a police state. No freedom of the press. Journalists are being forced into exile by Local and Federal authorities.”

@Jakes247: “I’m deeply worried for my friend @Ibykul, one of Africa’s finest investigative journalists who has been forced into hiding following death threats and deaths of key sources in his investigative reports on ethnic/religious violence in #kaduna, Nigeria.”

@RSF_inter: “RSF_inter is asking the authorities to take every necessary steps to guarantee the safety of journalist @Ibykul after several of his sources died amid his investigation on massacres in Kaduna.”

@TheICIR: “#SouthernKaduna: Ibanga Isine (@Ibykul) spent months investigating the endless massacre, and plunder from the southern Kaduna crisis that has seen; @NigeriaGov at federal and state levels appear to have abdicated their responsibility to bandits. Nothing should happen to him.”

?#Nigeria??: @RSF_inter is asking the authorities to take every necessary steps to guarantee the safety of journalist @Ibykul after several of his sources died amid his investigation on massacres in Kaduna.
➡️@elrufai
➡️@DrIsaPantami
➡️@NigeriaGov
https://t.co/DQ4ZUdCDYr pic.twitter.com/DHVsdTTnja

— RSF (@RSF_inter) January 29, 2021

 

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