The Security Division of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, on Saturday barred journalists from covering the institution’s 45th Convocation ceremony.
Correspondents from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Daily Trust, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC), Nagarta Radio and NTA Zaria, among others, were denied access to Mamman Kontagora Square, the venue of the ceremony.
NAN reports that a security officer of the university, identified simply as Mr. C.K., said he was acting on the directive of the Chief Security Officer, Malam Ashiru Zango.
According to him, journalists were required to obtain clearance from the Vice-Chancellor before they could be allowed entry, despite presenting valid staff identity cards and accreditation tags earlier issued by the university.
The affected journalists protested the decision, insisting that they had been duly accredited to cover the event.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) intervened and made efforts to reach the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Mallam Auwalu Umar, over the denial of access to media personnel at the venue.
As at the time of filing this report, some journalists had angrily left the convocation venue in protest over what they described as an obnoxious development. (NAN)
