The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Chapter, has lamented the rising number of unresolved murder of journalists in the country. The union said journalists are being killed in the course of carrying out their duties as watch dog of the nation and nothing much is being done by the security agents to bring the killers to book.

The union made the assertion through its Chairman Deji Elumoye, at a colloquium organised recently in Lagos in memory of late Dele Giwa, tagged “Safety of journalists and the culture of impunity in Africa”.

“This theme is very apt as we have recorded more unresolved killings, molestation and attacks on our members after Dele Giwa’s incident, yet nothing has been done to bring the culprits to book,” Elumoye said.

Continuing he recounted: “Prominent among them are the killings of Godwin Agbroko, Omololu Falobi, Abayomi Ogundeji, Bayo Ohu and Edo Ugbagwu, by yet unidentified assassins few years back.”

Elumoye noted that it is a matter of worry that journalists could become subject of attacks in the course of carrying out their duty as the fourth estate of the realm, adding that, “not quite long ago, a photo journalist, Benedict Uwalaka and the Executive Director and Chairman Badagry Prime were nearly killed with the complicity of security agents.”

According to him, a finding by Community to Protect Journalists (CPJ) placed Nigeria 13th on the 2015 Global Impunity Index which spotlight nations where journalists are killed and their killers go free.

Elumoye however, urged the Federal Government through the Inspector-General of Police to as a matter of concern re-open the investigation on the death of Dele Giwa and other journalists who were mysteriously murdered without this, “the mantra of change in the country will not be completed,” he said.

•Photo shows Lagos NUJ Chairman Deji Elumoye.

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