Following the invasion of its offices, the management of Thunder Blowers Online newspaper has said the Zamfara State Government should be held responsible if anything happens to any of its workers again.
It was reported how thugs invaded the office Monday night.
Speaking during a press conference in Gusau Tuesday, Anas Anka, the managing editor of the online newspaper and TV station, said the leader of the thugs had been terrorising opponents of the APC-led administration.
He said the man who allegedly led the thugs to the offices, Zayyanu Abdullah (but popularly known as ADC), was the one who destroyed a section of the Nigerian Union of Journalists office in Gusau and disrupted the recent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress in the state.
He said Mr Matawalle funded the renovation of the burnt down NUJ office but no action was taken against the thugs.
“After a review of the attack, the gang leader, ADC, made it clear to some of us who engaged him that they launched the attack on Thunder Blowers offices because of our constant criticisms of the governor Bello Matawalle’s government.
“That same ADC has told me on the phone that he led a team of thugs to invade the PDP congress. It was expected that with the series of calls, the Bello Matawalle administration should have cautioned the gang leader against any such things, but to our surprise, no action was taken.”
Mr Anka said the thugs crashed eight units of desktop computers and took away three laptop computers, video cameras and server decoder during the attack.
He, however, said the said ADC has been reaching out to some of his (Anka’s ) elders to plead with them with a promise that he would return everything that they took.
“It’s on the premise that we are calling the attention of the international community, civil society organisations to be aware of the sad development on how Governor Matawalle is trying to muzzle freedom, especially that of expression and political association.
“There are several incidents of how the government of Bello Matawalle, since inception, has been scouting for the members of the opposition and getting them into prison over allegations yet to be proved; and that is sadly extended to media organisations,” Mr Anka lamented.
He said the police commissioner and the director of the State Security Services in the state had been duly notified and the name of the lead suspect sent to them.
“We want to make it very clear that with the scenario that happened, whatever happens to any staff of this medium henceforth, the government of Bello Matawalle should be held responsible because the threat on our staff is becoming alarming,” he added.
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the Senior Special Adviser on Enlightenment, Media and Communications to the governor, Zailani Bappa, sent a statement tittle “Reckless accusation against His Excellency the Executive Governor: Need for Caution.”
In the statement, Mr Bappah warned against levelling baseless allegations against the governor.
“Every person or organisation with grudges against any misdeed must follow due process in seeking for redress by reporting any matter to the security operatives and approaching the court of law for redress based on investigation outcome. Hence, such persons or groups must no longer come to the public and accuse His Excellency or his administration with baseless innuendos.”
He said freedom of speech does not guarantee anyone to “abuse the institution of authority with slander and libel.
“We, hereby, draw the attention of all persons and organisations to, henceforth, be cautious of being indiscriminate by directly accusing His Excellency as the law will take its course on any further slander of libel against His Excellency,” the statement added.
