GOVERNMENT USE OF EXTRA LEGAL MEASURES AGAINST MEDIA PRACTITIONERS A CASE STUDY OF SANI ABACHA REGIME. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON MASS COMMUNICATION
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The media as the watchdog of the society aluminates its light on the society not forgetting its responsibility of entertainment, information and educating its audience as to keep them abreast of the dynamism of the world, condemning the ills of the government and the governed, all geared towards a better society.
Median practitioners by implication covers all the people who are trained in the art of journalism and work in radio and television station, newspapers and magazines and other medium through which people get informed. The concept of the media developed right from the time the printing press was invented five centuries ago. The invention revolutionized man’s ability to communicate ideas and information. But, from that time, there was always this desire of those who had control of political authority/ power to create barriers against the free flow of ideas and information which the believe could threaten their rule.
Press freedom as a concept of libertarian philosophy is always assailed by those who us quo maintained hence use of extract legal measures against medial practitioners which was colossal during military era.
For media practitioners to carryout their duties effectively and efficiently, they should be granted certain degrees of freedom hence absolute freedom is unattainable. Media practitioners in trying to meet up with its expected roles have encountered grave unhealthy confrontations ranging from harassment, intimidation, detention, to censorship which is more pronounced during military dictatorship.
This work is restricted to Late General Sani Abacha military junta who reveled in gagging and muzzling the media using state security apparatus despite the fact that modern constitution endavours to safeguard basis freedom which the military had always defied, flouted, suppressed and violated with impunity.
This government use of extra legal measures against media practitioners can be traced back to the infamous Decree No. 4 as promulgated by general Buchari (Ltd) in 1984 which endavoured to strangle press freedom .
The Decree become the sword of Damocles of dangling over the head of every journalist. Of course, the two of Nduka lrabor and Tunde Thompson were detained for violating the infamous Decree No.4 otherwise known as the “ Public officers protection from false Accusation”
Decree 1984 for publishing story about changes in Nigerian High Commissioner in Britain whose to be withdrawn and replaced by Rtd. Gen Hannaniya. They refused to divulge the source of their information. They were later charged to court, tried and convicted under the provisions of the Decree, on April 4, 1984. they were jailed for 18 months.
It was intriguing that after Irabor and Thompson had been convicted, Rtd Gen. Hanvaniya was subsequently accredited to UK as Nigerian High Commissioner.
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