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A source within the emirate, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, revealed that the monarch summoned journalists to his palace on Sunday, where he warned them against further reporting incidents of terrorism and bandit attacks in the area.
Journalists and media practitioners in Kwara State are currently under severe intimidation as the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Muhammad Kudu Kawu, has issued threats against them over constant reports exposing the rising insecurity in Kwara North communities.
A source within the emirate, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, revealed that the monarch summoned journalists to his palace on Sunday, where he warned them against further reporting incidents of terrorism and bandit attacks in the area.
“On Sunday, the Emir of Lafiagi summoned all the journalists and media practitioners to his palace and warned them not to report insecurity issues in our land again,” the source disclosed.
According to him, the Emir claimed that he was acting on the orders of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State.
“The Emir really threatened them and said he is passing the directive of the Governor. He said if the journalists did not listen, he may end up arresting them,” the source added.
The intimidation comes amid growing concerns over repeated attacks by bandits in Lafiagi, Patigi, and other parts of Kwara North, where residents have been kidnapped, killed, or forced to pay ransom to terrorists operating freely.
“You know that Kwara State Government has once threatened The Informant247 not to report insecurity issues in Kwara North,” the insider further alleged.
“The governor said SaharaReporters, Nupeko TV, and The Informant247 are exposing the government of Kwara State because their reports on insecurity in Lafiagi and Patigi have been embarrassing Governor AbdulRahman.”
Already, journalists covering the area are said to be operating under fear of arrest and harassment.
For instance, SaharaReporters reported on Sunday how the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara State invited and detained a popular blogger, Abdulsamad Oloyin, widely known as Yolo, over alleged defamation against a businesswoman, Wahab Ramat.
Oloyin, who runs the Facebook page Awoko Kwara, was picked up on Thursday at the NSCDC state headquarters following a petition filed by Ramat.
She accused him of posting content that portrayed her as an informant to bandits, claiming it had damaged her reputation, strained her marriage, and cost her customers.
A senior NSCDC officer told SaharaReporters that Ramat demanded N5 million in damages and insisted Oloyin record a video apology, threatening court action if he refused.
According to the officer, Ramat alleged that the information posted by Oloyin on Awoko Kwara portrayed her as an informant to bandits.
Source: SaharaReporters.com | Read the Full Story…
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