The Plateau State chapter of Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), has threatened to withdraw its members from the ongoing military search and rescue operation of the missing general, Muhammed Alkali.

The group also expressed concern over what it described as arbitrary harassment and intimidation of members of public, Premium Times reports.

NUJ made its position in a press statement signed by its chairman and secretary, Paul Jatau and Peter Amine respectively.

“The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council is concerned about the way and manner the Nigeria Army is going about its search for missing Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

“The abitrary harassment, intimidation and arrest of members of the public as part of their search is a thing of worry to the NUJ.

“We recall that at the commencement of the evacuation of water from Dura Du pond in Jos South, the Army told the public that they have credible intelligence that the missing general’s car was in the pond and true to their word, the car was retrieved from the pond.

“We expect them to use the same intelligence they used to locate the car to go after the suspects as they continue the search for Gen. Alkali or his body.

“We are perturbed because innocent people are not spared by the crude method they have employed thereby instilling fear and overheating the polity.

“The Army on Saturday in a statement, assured the public that they will exhibit high level professionalism according to international standard in the search but what is on display contradicts the assurances.

“The same Saturday, a member of our Union, a reporter of the Punch Newspaper was arrested alongside other persons by the army and was detained for 28 hours in Rukuba Barracks as part of the search.

“We wish to state unequivocally that while journalists support the search for the missing senior officer, indeed the Nigeria Union Of Journalists, Plateau State Council will not hesitate in withdrawing its members from covering their activities if the intimidation and harrasment continues,” the statement highlighted.

According to the Punch reporter who was released Monday morning, he and 36 others were, on Sunday, arrested at Anne Breeze Restaurant, Rayfied area of Jos South Local Government Area of the state, where he went to buy food.

“I came back last night after spending about 28 hours behind bars over the Jos missing Gen. Mohammed Idris Alkali (retd). We were 28 men and 9 women (37).

“I went to buy food by 9:00 p.m. on Saturday (curfew starts by 10:00) at a popular Anne Breeze Restaurant when soldiers in two lorry trucks (about 30 of them) swooped on the place, shot indiscriminately at sight and arrested every human being they sighted.

“Even my identification that I’m a journalist didn’t help matters. Twenty-eight of us were kept in an uncompleted building and I had no access to my family, editors and colleagues because they took our phones,” the reporter narrated.

When contacted on the matter, deputy director, army public relations, Kayode Ogunsanya, said the journalist was found in a wrong place, though he did not specifically provide the name of the place.

“The journalist was found at a wrong place at the wrong time. When l recognised him on my own, he was later released. He spent less that 20hrs, as against 28hrs he claimed,” Mr Ogunsanya said.

Mr Alkali was declared missing on September 3, when he was traveling from Abuja to Bauchi.

After a few weeks, the army received intelligence that the general’s body or car was in the pond.

The draining of water from the pond was earlier protested by the women of the community who appeared in black, claiming that the pond has ancestral inclination.

Their protest was unsuccessful.

The car of the missing general and two others cars were found.

A blood-stained T-Shirt and a boxer short, believed to belong to the general, were also found in the car on a Saturday evening by a combined security team.

On Wednesday, the army in the early hours of that day, cordoned off the community and arrested 30 suspects in connection to the missing general but promised not to take any military action on the community.

The army on Friday, dismissed the rumour that two corpses were discovered in the pond.

https://lailasnews.com/army-harassing-journalists-and-the-public-over-missing-general-nuj/

lalasticlala

There's more to dis whole story dat d public doesn't know about... Dis whole thing looks schemed and considering d General was 2weeks away from his retirement says a lot

They should go and be searching for deir oga inside de water, and leave passersby and reporters alone jawe

G

All this senseless dramas that came with Buhari ends in 2019 when we must have all ATIKULATED.
Useless gworo government with its seasonal illiterate childish melodramas

it's getting clearer by the day, the people trying to wipe out some ex Generals of some specific tribe, and pin it on some other factors. Recovery of vehicle and clothes yet no corpse, confession and parade of "alleged" murder suspect yet no corpse again. Harrasment of journalist, alleged resistance and protest of locals

That's their modus operandi, I haven't heard where this army guys harass Fulani guys but when it's other ethnic group watch them spring up like jet li and Scott adkins..... Stupid country

useless country

I laugh when any Nigerian security outfit uses the word "intelligence" because I know that's one thing they have no clue of. All they have is brute force.

Buhari is losing Mid-belt next year big time.

They should let sleeping dogs lie.

the person above me has something to say shall

See my signature for business ideas that can make millions.

Who the hell is the Army General.... Is he greater than the ordinary man that has been missing there for long or killed in Boko Haram war.. Nonsense!!

...if they claimed to have arrested the suspect the other day. which I presumed that they were mere vigilante in the community. how come they are still harassing and arresting people in search of the dead man. when they already arrested people

Army should deal with these fools. NUJ Birom faction.

This is where you see Nigerian army. Toy soldiers.

FriendNG:
Army should deal with these fools. NUJ Birom faction.

You have turned yourself to a nuisance here since the incident of this Army general happened. You are always on any thread that has to do with this particular case, maybe you know more about this case than most of us here. Please tell us what you know or what you guys are planning to do to the Berom people.

Mexyz:
You have turned yourself to a nuisance here since the incident of this Army general happened. You are always on any thread that has to do with this particular case, maybe you know more about this case than most of us here. Please tell us what you know or what you guys are planning to do to the Berom people.

Provide our General dead or Alive is all we are asking for. You have been killing Muslims travellers. Your atrocities have been uncovered and no amount of sponsored media nonesense will divert our attention. In the morning it was pastor crying now army harrasing nuj. We are not interested in such stories. Where is the general is all we are asking for.

d military is using under hand method which may yield little or no result. gud intelligence network sud b adopted

The Army is planning a Genocide in that part of Nigeria.
with a made up excuse of searching for a noneexistence General. They are Accussing the Innocent poor Villagers.

This looks like propaganda so that the army will be distracted in the investigation. The blood of all the innocent people killed by beroms in that area is cryiing for justice. Many of the victims were just travellers passing through plateau state, like the slained general. Nobody is denying that beroms are almost all xtians.

FriendNG:


Provide our General dead or Alive is all we are asking for. You have been killing Muslims travellers. Your atrocities have been uncovered and no amount of sponsored media nonesense will divert our attention. In the morning it was pastor crying now army harrasing nuj. We are not interested in such stories. Where is the general is all we are asking for.

So you were told that the Army general was killed by the berom people.. Oga if you're Fulani, then you don't need to be told the atrocities that your brothers have committed in the last 3 years.
Just so you know, am from Edo state and not a northerner.

FriendNG:
Army should deal with these fools. NUJ Birom faction.

you and a senseless mofo,no difference

FriendNG:


Provide our General dead or Alive is all we are asking for. You have been killing Muslims travellers. Your atrocities have been uncovered and no amount of sponsored media nonesense will divert our attention. In the morning it was pastor crying now army harrasing nuj. We are not interested in such stories. Where is the general is all we are asking for.

The General is right there with his soldiers! Go figure that out..wawa!

FriendNG:


Provide our General dead or Alive is all we are asking for. You have been killing Muslims travellers. Your atrocities have been uncovered and no amount of sponsored media nonesense will divert our attention. In the morning it was pastor crying now army harrasing nuj. We are not interested in such stories. Where is the general is all we are asking for.

The General is right there with his soldiers..! Go figure that out..wawa

an eye for an eye will make everyone go blind,anyone found guilty connected to this travail should be dealt with like a hardened terrorist, wonder why Christians take sides with this people cos they represent their fate,this just proved that many of you are also terrorist

but no search for miss Leah sharibu abi

FriendNG:


Provide our General dead or Alive is all we are asking for. You have been killing Muslims travellers. Your atrocities have been uncovered and no amount of sponsored media nonesense will divert our attention. In the morning it was pastor crying now army harrasing nuj. We are not interested in such stories. Where is the general is all we are asking for.

where is nnamdi kanu and el zaky zaky,provide them and have ur general

The Army is hell bent on finding the truth, no amount of Berom protest or blackmail will distract them from their mission; they should count themselves lucky it is not under ruthless OBJ otherwise their villages and settlements would been obliterated like Odi and Zaki Biam.