The Security Division of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on Saturday prevented journalists from covering the institution’s 45th Convocation ceremony.
Reporters from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Daily Trust, News Agency of Nigeria, Kaduna State Media Corporation, Nagarta Radio, and NTA Zaria, among others, were denied entry to Mamman Kontagora Square, where the event was taking place.
A security officer, identified as Mr. C.K., told NAN that he was following the directive of the Chief Security Officer, Malam Ashiru Zango, to bar media personnel from the venue.
He said, “journalists were required to obtain clearance from the Vice-Chancellor before they could be allowed entry,” despite presenting valid staff identity cards and accreditation tags issued by the university.
The affected journalists protested the move, insisting that they had been duly accredited to cover the ceremony.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists intervened, reaching out to the Director of Public Affairs of the university, Mallam Auwalu Umar.
Umar assured the journalists that he “would intervene to ensure that media were granted access to the venue.”
At the time of filing the report, some journalists had angrily left the convocation site in protest over what they described as an “obnoxious development.”
