Niger CJ docks 2 journalists over refusal to divulge source of story

The Chief Judge of Niger state, Justice Mariam Zukogi, has charged two journalists working with the state owed media organization, Newsline Newspapers, for contempt of her court for declining to divulge the source of a story concerning the state judiciary published by the newspaper.

The editor of the newspaper, Mohammed Hadi Pandogari and the judicial correspondent of the organization, Uthman Siraja, were said to have been invited by the Chief Judge to her office on Thursday but were ushered into court room to face trial.

It was learnt that the journalists incurred the anger of the Chief Judge when they declined to divulge the source of the story that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has rejected appointment of some judges from the state.

The editor, Mohammed Hadi Pandogari told our correspondent in Minna that he was invited by the Chief Judge along with his reporter covering judiciary over the story, adding that “when we got to her office, she refused to see us but said we will meet in court”.

He said, “We were taken to the court before the Chief Judge appeared and to my surprise, our case was the first on the schedule. The case was cited as we versus the Chief Judge”.

The editor said that while in the dock, the Chief Judge requested him to identify the copy of the Newspaper and the particular story on the rejection of appointment of judges from the state by the NJC, adding that, “after I identified the newspaper as ours, she said I should tell her the source of the story and I told her that I cannot disclose my source of information.

When she asked me again to disclose the source of the story, I kept quiet. It was at this point that the Chief Judge ordered me to disclose the source of my story on next adjournment date of face contempt of court before adjourning to 18th of this month.

In a swift reaction, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the action of the Chief Judge calling on her to unconditionally stop the trial immediately.

The union, in a statement issued at the weekend by its National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Liman said, “We condemn a situation like this in which journalism is being threatened by the narrow self-interests of political and corporate bodies”.

Liman described it as an attempt to instill fear in journalists and to endanger media pluralism and democracy explaining that that the future of democratic pluralism and the defense of people’s rights are dependent on the right of citizens to receive reliable and useful information.

He said, “it is pertinent to reiterate that the social responsibilities of journalists include amongst others, the advancement of the right to freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of the process, media independence and conflict transformation and peace building.

It is instructive to note that sources are important roots of information and vital links in the chain of investigation by journalists. Accordingly, Journalists are not expected to divulge their sources of information or be compelled to do so, except in a situation where crime is involved”.

Our correspondent gathered that the state Acting Governor, Ahmed Ketso has directed the state commissioners of Information and Justice to initiate a meeting with the Chief Judge in order to intervene in the matter.