The Government of Zamfara State has announced a shutdown of about three television stations and an FM radio station in the state for allegedly covering a PDP rally.
The affected media stations are the Nigeria Television Authority, Gamji TV, Al-Umma TV, and Pride FM radio, all in Gusau, the state capital.
In a radio broadcast, the state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, said the media houses were shut down for allegedly violating professional ethics.
According to Dosara, the affected media houses attended the rally organised by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state, while the state government had earlier banned political rallies for security reasons.
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He said, ‘The state government has suspended all political activities in the state due to security challenges but the PDP ignored the order and held a rally in Gusau, the state capital, where one person was killed and 18 others were injured.
‘The four media houses, NTA, Gamji TV, Al-Umma TV, and Pride FM radio, were also at the event to cover the occasion even though they were aware of the ban on political rallies by the state government.
‘Given this, the four media houses are hereby closed down with immediate effect.
‘The government has directed security agents to arrest any staff member of the affected stations who try to go into the stations to perform any duty.’
In another report, a trader who is an indigene of Zamfara State whose name was given as Alhaji Mohammed Modi has lamented that the rate of killings, kidnappings, and maiming of innocent citizens going on in the state has become so embarrassing and depressing.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, Modi asserted that it is not clear exactly what these bandits want, pointing out that all efforts being made for them to reason and surrender their arms have proved abortive.
‘The State government has initiated dialogues with the bandits for them to embrace peace but they rejected the reconciliation move by the government’
‘Now, nobody is free to move around in the state, even in the broad daylight as people are afraid of being killed or kidnapped.’
According to him, the state government has adopted various security measures to arrest the dastardly acts but all to no avail.’