Sahara Reporters, Maikudi And University Of Abuja, By Abdulgaffar Olatumbosun

Journalism has always fascinated me for its power to reflect society, inform the public, and hold institutions accountable. My decision to study Communication and Media Studies at the University of Abuja was fueled by this passion. Over time, I have come to understand that journalism is not merely about storytelling or breaking news—it carries deep ethical responsibilities, including accuracy, balance, and integrity.

Unfortunately, these principles seem to be diminishing in many media organisations today. Rather than prioritizing objectivity and fairness, some outlets have embraced sensationalism, bias, and even outright falsehoods. This troubling trend has been evident in the recent media coverage surrounding the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi. It is almost as if the institution has been singled out for relentless attacks, with reports that are sometimes misleading, exaggerated, or outright false.

At the forefront of this media onslaught is Sahara Reporters, an online outlet that once attracted the public because of its coverage of wide range of issues. However, over time, it appears to have become simply a platform for personal vendettas, sensationalism, and in some instances, for those who are prepared to offer a price.

In just the last four months, the platform has published over 40 news stories about the University of Abuja, 38 of which are negative.

Many of these reports relied on spurious, unnamed sources, unverified documents, and unsubstantiated claims, resulting in cheap and puerile blackmail. I remember some sensational headlines such as “43 UniAbuja Profs, Members of Senate Accuse Vice-Chancellor Maikudi of Singlehandedly Fixing Varsity’s Convocation Date.” One amateur video was headlined, “Drama As Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Maikudi Allegedly Sends Vigilantes To Manhandle Professors At Senate Meeting.”

In taking a closer look at most of the stories about the University, it becomes difficult to ignore the possibility that Sahara Reporters is being used by some interests who want to run the University of Abuja down or who desire a certain candidate to be imposed as vice-chancellor by the Council, instead of Maikudi, who was appointed through a transparent and due process. Even at this moment that I write, this online platform remains notoriously unrepentant in what I will refer to as its “bring them down journalism.” One of its most recent stories published on 29th January 2025 cried, “UNIABUJA Crisis: Vice-Chancellor Maikudi Removes Senior Academics Opposing Her Appointment From HOD, Director Positions –Sources.”

The story went on to state that “Maikudi has replaced these experienced individuals with inexperienced junior lecturers, some of whom have been assigned to head departments unrelated to their field of study.” The so-called sources went ahead to describe the University as “being in a state of decay, with academic culture deteriorating rapidly,” and reported that the staff were replaced because they “rejected the ‘illegal’ vice- chancellor.” I have never seen this level of subjectivity in news reporting and writing. These subjective frames are thrown carelessly with high level subjectivity.

But the University of Abuja and individuals like Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi would not be the first victim of its attacks. The platform’s credibility has nosedived and been called into question numerous times, with a growing number of individuals and organisations filing lawsuits over defamatory and libelous reports. Some notable individuals that it has attacked include former Senate President and Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki; Senator Dino Melaye over claims that he had not graduated from Ahmadu Bello University; and Dr Daniel Olukoya, General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, over a defamatory report published in 2013. In 2023, the Nigerian Army threatened legal action after Sahara Reporters published an article alleging that the military was planning a coup. There is litany of such and related cases in the public domain, where the outlet was sued for libel.

Of recent, it is embroiled in legal tussle over its libellous report on the Inspector General of Police.

Yet, there are many other individuals who have been maligned and defamed by Sahara Reporters that never considered going to court as an option. I think the University, and indeed its vice-chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi is in this group. They will probably be contented with the fact that except for the unsuspecting public, many take the Sahara Reporters stories about the University with a pinch of salt. A glance at the comment sections of the SR Facebook posts reveals a growing scepticism about their journalism. Readers are calling out the platform for its obsession with attacking the Vice-Chancellor and the University and asking them to get their sources and news verified. For instance, one Josephine Adama asked, “Why won’t you guys leave this young beautiful woman alone? Do you hate her because she is a woman, or because she is not your candidate? What I read about her in other platforms speak highly of her.”

Another commenter, Jonah Simeon said, “SR, please can you be more ethical in your reporting? Stop maligning the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, you have a duty to be honest and objective. Not running fake stories on her.”

And I quite agree with some of these commenters. Though there are a few who are deceived by the stories in the SR, and joined to castigate the university, media platforms have a duty to inform the public truthfully and uphold the highest ethical standards, not hiding under advocacy to assassinate the character of reputable people and institutions in the country.

But does the SR care about ethics? It is unlikely. In fact, more of these childish, blackmailing reports about the university will make their headlines because it seems that it is through blackmail that the medium makes its name.

As a student of communication and media studies, I will always see journalism as a noble profession built on accuracy, fairness, and transparency. And I advocate that those who stubbornly violate it should be sanctioned appropriately by regulatory bodies, like the ombudsman.

As for the so-called sources who are busy trying to destroy their university by attempting to tarnish their image, I am happy that the Senate of my university has made a bold decisive pronouncement against them. The management of the University has now been empowered to deal with them, if they continue to destroy the image of the university and attack the head of this institution unjustly. It is not that any amount of negative press can erase the progress being made at the University of Abuja in the last six months or so or tarnish the leadership of those genuinely working to improve the institution. It is just that because of the respect the profession has, and those of us who look up to practising it do not get discouraged by the few unprofessional platforms such as the Sahara reporters.