3 journalists arrested over killing of polio vaccinators

Three staff of the Kano station of Wazobia FM have been arrested by the Nigerian police over what security agencies described as inciting reports that allegedly led to the attack on two health centres at Angwar Uku and Hotoro quarters last Friday.

Residents of the northern Nigerian city of Kano were shocked as they woke up that day with the sad news of the killing of nine female social health workers who were on duty by yet unidentified gunmen on tricycles.

Puzzled by the attack which is second within the last six months, detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, acting on orders from Abuja went after the journalists whose programme was believed to have incited Islamic extremists to kill the health workers in protest over the polio exercise in the city.

Suleiman Gama, producer of the Hausa programme, Sandar Girma, Yakubu Musa, presenter of the programme and Mubarak Malam, reporter, are being quizzed by detectives at the Bompai headquarters of Kano Police Command.

Security agencies believe that in the radio program, Polio immunization was criticized as anti-Islam and western ploy to reduce the population of the region via infertility.
Mr. Ibrahim Idris, Kano state Commissioner of Police confirmed the arrest of the radio journalist, describing their action as, “irresponsible journalism,” pointing out that thorough investigation are being carried out by his men.

According to him, the programme which was aired few days before the attack was grossly inciting, noting that it influenced the behavior of the attackers.