…Demands right to fairness for the indicted citizens
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised what it described as “a deliberate leakage” to a section of the media, the report of the investigation of an alleged plot to stage a military take over of power in Nigeria in which over a dozen military officers have been reportedly indicted.
HURIWA noted that the deliberate leakage of the report which has now saturated the media and become a commonplace discussion, has challenged the credibility and transparency of the entire investigative exercise and making Nigeria look like a banana Republic.
It particularly expressed consternation that the media reports about the plot by some persons that allegedly planned to unseat the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, has become largely a one-sided narrative in which the tested and trusted qualities of news such as accuracy, objectivity, balance, verifiable, have all but been rubbished in the sensational reporting of the detailed report on the alleged plot to topple the government.
The human rights organisation in a statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator, noted that the any one-sided report is at best speculative and presents the media as propaganda outfits rather than professionals.
HURIWA therefore called President Tinubu to order an investigation to ascertain how the report of the alleged coup investigation was deliberately leaked to a section of the media and insisted that the investigators should identify the individual who leaked the report.
It further said that he way the report has been handled has made questions to be raised challenging the validity of the report and the intention of the entire process.
In the words of HURIWA; “First and foremost, when the news filtered out that there was a plot to overthrow the current administration which was foiled by the military Intelligence community, but the government categorically dismissed the story as false.
“Few weeks after, the Defence Headquarters issued a media statement confirming that indeed some officers were arrested and investigated for allegedly plotting to unseat President Tinubu.
“Soon after this official confirmation was narrated, the next thing was for the details of the investigation to be splashed out in media publications including the social media.
“The question is what exactly is the reason for this untidy handling of a very sensitive matter that border on National security of Nigeria? So, who leaked the report and for what purpose?” it asked.
HURIWA stressed that a matter as sensitive and related to National security of Nigeria such as an alleged coup, should have received the most confidential handling by those involved in unravelling the circumstances and individuals implicated in the plot.
It said; “We wonder why report of such a significant dimension in which case many serving military officers are expected to be judicially prosecuted and may face extreme punitive measures if found guilty, has been made to become a pepper soup and beer parlour gossip.
“Why was the report not securely kept a top secret and then the judicial process activated in which case the indicted persons could be afforded their constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing in accordance with Section 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999, as amended?
“The way and manner the one-sided media narrative has gone, makes it practically impossible for the accused persons to get fair hearing of the matter given that they have already been convicted in the court of public opinion made possible by the suspected deliberate leakage of the investigation’s report”.
HURIWA therefore asked the President to act on the report and enable the indicted persons to enjoy their constitutionally protected right to fair hearing.
It also appealed to the media to professionally handle the reportage of the alleged coup investigation’s report with the highest respect for the ethics of the profession, and urged the media to avoid over dramatisation of the report on the alleged coup plot.
