ASKOJ Condemns Persecution of Journalists, Seeks End to Press Suppression
The Association of Kano Online Journalists (ASKOJ) has strongly condemned the prosecution of one of its members, Mal. Buhari Abba, by the Kano State Police Command, allegedly on the instructions of the State Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waya.
In a statement signed by Yakubu Salisu, Chairman of ASKOJ, the association described the incident as a blatant attempt to suppress press freedom and intimidate journalists in Kano.
“ASKOJ denounces Waya’s misuse of state power to silence, oppress, and persecute journalists performing their constitutional duty as society’s watchdog,” the statement read.
According to ASKOJ, the police, acting under Waya’s directive, have been trailing Buhari Abba, the publisher of Kano Times, since Saturday, March 22, 2025. He was eventually held on Monday, March 24, where officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) interrogated him, demanding that he reveal the identity of the author of an opinion article critical of the commissioner.
“This is a blatant act of intimidation and suppression, which is a direct attack on Freedom of the Press as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution,” the association stated.
The opinion piece in question, titled “Dear Gov. Yusuf, Beware of Kano Information Commissioner Ibrahim Waiya,” was authored by Ismail Auwal and published on Kano Times. The police reportedly pressured Buhari Abba to disclose the writer’s identity and lead them to his whereabouts.
ASKOJ criticized Commissioner Waya’s actions, noting that as someone who once benefited from a free press during his civil society days, he should have sought alternative means of addressing any grievances rather than resorting to police intimidation.
“We demand an immediate end to this attempt to gag the media and any further attempts to use law enforcement agencies against the press,” the statement emphasized.
The association called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to intervene and halt the harassment of journalists in Kano, urging him to ensure his appointees respect press freedom.
“Security institutions must uphold the rule of law and reject being used as tools for censorship and oppression,” ASKOJ stressed, reaffirming its commitment to defending press freedom and journalistic ethics.
The association also urged local and international press freedom organizations, human rights groups, and concerned Nigerians to speak out against what it described as a “brazen assault on press freedom.”
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