NUJ, NGE Demand Unconditional Release of Wabara

From left, Mr. Shuaibu Leman, National Secretary of NUJ and the president Malam Garba Mohammed

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) saturday called on the Nigeria Police to release the Associate Editor of the Sun Newspapers, Mr. Ebere Wabara, unconditionally.

The call is contained in statement issued by the National Secretary of NUJ, Mr. Shuaibu Leman, in Abuja, according to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report.

Wabara, a veteran journalist, was arrested at his residence in Lagos on March 28, allegedly on the orders of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia.

The statement said, “the arrest and detention of Ebere Wabara by the police on the orders of the Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia clearly shows that Nigeria is still in its undemocratic periods. After about 15 years of uninterrupted democracy, we are yet to move away from the anti democratic practices that characterised former military regimes.

“We are further worried that this arrest and detention runs contrary to common sense and the law. It is our contention that no responsible government should be seen to be arresting and detaining its citizens indiscriminately”, the statement said.

It stressed that if this act of impunity was allowed to continue, no Nigerian would be free. “It is unfortunate that the government of Abia had openly shown its bias in this case as everything conceivable is being done to frustrate the release of Wabara.

“We say no to government who make a mockery of the freedom of expression and democracy when they encourage a culture of impunity and lawlessness against the media”, it stated.
The statement said that detaining journalists at this level of development clearly showed the imprint of military regime.

Similarly, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has also called for the immediate release of Wabara. The call was contained in statement issued by the Deputy President of NGE, Ms Aishatu Sule.
It described the arrest of Wabara by the police from Abia as crossing the line from civility to despotism.