Zamfara Government has apologized for shutting down federal and some private station media houses in the state.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and Chairman, Zamfara State Committee on Prosecution of Banditry and Related Offences, Alhaji Abdullahi Shinkafi, made the apology at a Press Conference held in Gusau
The media organisations shutdown by the government included NTA Frcn’s Pride FM Gusau, Gamji TV, Gamji FM and Al-umma TV which are privately operated.
The government, in the Order, banned all forms of political rallies and meetings in the state due to security concerns, suspended all political activities in the state and totally shut down Anka, Bukuyum and Gummi Local government areas’ roads and other affected towns and villages affected by order No 10, 2022
Shinkafi said that the affected media organizations violated the Order by covering an alleged “illegal political activity” of the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic party (PDP), Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare, in Gusau on Saturday.
He said the “illegal political gathering” led to a security breach by some youths of the two political parties, saying “The police had confirmed that one man was shot dead and 18 others injured during the event.”
Shinkafi said that the government action of shutting down the media houses attracted unprecedented reactions and criticisms from various organizations and agencies.
The broadcast media regulators, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), among others, condemned the government for its action and called for immediate reversal.
The APC chieftain, however, insisted that Governor Matawalle action was guided by the powers vested on him as enshrined in relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
Reporting bySani Dutsinma; Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade