By Ayo Kehinde
Chief negotiator in the Abuja-Kaduna train victims release, Tukur Mamu, has expressed sadness over the penalization of Trust Tv and Multichoice by the federal government for the documentary on banditry in Northwest.
The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, on Wednesday slammed a fine of N5 million on Trust Tv over the broadcast of the documentary titled: “ Nigeria’s banditry: The Inside Story, aired by the station on March 5, 2022.
Coming two days after the Federal Government threatened to sanction the BBC and Trust TV, the NBC, in a letter dated August 3, and signed by it Director General, Balarabe Shehu, Illela, said the fine was imposed on Trust Tv because the broadcast of the documentary contravened sections of the NBC code
Speaking on an ARISE Tv interview on Thursday morning, Mamu said; “It shows government’s myopic view of the situation. When you cage the media and threaten the media in the manner we have seen in recent times, it means something is wrong and democracy is in danger. That is one of the reasons I withdrew from the situation, especially when my negotiation efforts were exposing the failure of people in government and their incapacity to act.
“As a journalist, I have analysed the video of the BBC and Trust Tv investigation reports that government faulted, honestly I cannot see why government took that action to penalize the media.
“How can they do that in a country where people are been killed and in the sciety is heading to wards chaos? If the government needs one powerful support from any stakeholder on the magnitude of insecurity in the country, it is the media. Honestly, I feel embarrassed.”
Explaining why he withdrew his role as negotiator for the release of the remaining 50 victims, he said that apart from getting no appreciation for the little effort he has put into getting some of the victims released, threats on his life was coming from the terrorists who have got a wrong reading of the situation especially when government which was involved in securing the release of the first eleven victims without payment of ransom, pulled out of the further negotiations.
“I remember that even Sheikh Abubakar Gumi wanted to see the President for briefing was on his negotiation efforts to release some other victims, he was frustrated by those benefiting from the crisis. This is a multi-billion Naira project.”
He expressed fears that with the way the government was going about the release of the Abuja-Kaduna train victims, more crisis should be expected.
He however said he may reconsider his position to withdraw “his patriotic contribution” to the situation “when government show appreciation of, the crisis then I may come back
“The first eleven that were released did not pay ransom but after that federal government pulled nothing happened and this leaves you with a lot of frustrations. May be some in government does not understand the depth of insecurity situation and the pain many of the families of the victims are going through.”
“If people like me can endanger their lives by getting involved in the negotiation without any encouragement what would support you expect in future? It will be difficult for people to give the government information.”
Mamu, a journalists and publisher who had been visiting terrorists enclave with Sheik Gumi for negotiation with terrorists in the past one year suggested that government has to take the insecurity situation more seriously than before .
“As far as I understand, N16 bilion has been budgeted for insecurity in the country? What has been the commendable result.? The president has done his best but there is a problem if you fail to hold many accountable, responsible. That is the problem.”
On the question concerning the demands the terrorist are making, he said: “For me most of the issues they are bringing cannot be justified and are unrealistic. If they talk of government officials stealing in government and there is no presence of governance in some places, these are issues affecting all Nigerians and not only them.”
He called for dialogue in dealing with the terrorists because according to him many were people with low mentality and needed to be reasoned with and cured of their ignorance about many of the issues they are raising.
“During the period of my negotiations with them up they gave threats to stop killing the victims because I was able to persuade them to drop thee idea. I convinced then to show that part of Islam of the Holy Koran which sanctioned killing of people just for the fun of it.”
Explaining further that the security situation might get worse, he said “the major problem we made was to allow the Boko Haram and ISAWP to move from their bases in Borno State some Northeast states to the North West and North Central and establish base in the major forests of Niger State.
