…Says, “Rejoinder misleading, malicious.”
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Dokan Karji community, in Kauru LGA of Kaduna State, has condemned in totality, a rejoinder written and published in an online media under-estimating recent media reports on constant bandits’ attacks and killings in their community in southern Kaduna, describing it as “frivolous and dubious rejoinder.”
The community also described the online media reports published by the writer of the rejoinder as disheartening, utterly irresponsible, malicious and misleading reports by a self-acclaimed indigenous journalist from same Southern Kaduna zone.
Dokan Karji community had recently issued a release alleging constant bandits’ attacks and killings in their community, and was widely published in some national dailies.
But, a release issued Wednesday and signed by the community’s Youth Leader, Alh. Aminu Khalid, stated that a reporter wrote a strong rebuttal, discredit the recent publication in some of the leading National Newspapers on the plight of bandits-ravaged community,
The release, tagged, ‘Dokan Karji Community on a Misleading Rejoinder by a reporter on 21st November, 2014,’ stated that 14 villages were affected in the alleged constant attacks.
“The attention of the Dokan Karji community, Kauru LGA, Kaduna State, has been drawn to a dubious report by a supposed reporter, who wrote a strong rebuttal to discredit our plight published in some of the leading National Newspapers recently.
“The newspapers had correctly reported the impunity of bandits operating in some of our beleaguered communities to the extent that they have now chased out everyone there and have taken over our lands unchallenged by the state,” it stated.
A according to the community rebuttal release made available to newsmen, some national dailies had earlier published, and put out the headline as: “Bandits Overrun 14 Communities in Southern Kaduna – Locals Allege.”
Accordingly, they stressed that, “The most annoying thing is that, even though the reporter of national dailies is not from zone, but accurately reported the crimes against our people.”
The community, however, expressed dismay that the rejoinder reporter, “who runs a solely image laundry online media, and from the same zone of Southern Kaduna” could not have done that.
“Instead of adding voice to attract the attention of the top military brass, he has unfettered access to them, so that help can come to our displaced communities, he shockingly disparaged the report of Vanguard in his online article with the link attached,” they stated.
The community lamented that, “The rejoinder reporter, in all intent and purposes, portrayed their recent report in newspapers as ‘frivolous report, utterly speculative and over exaggerated to either gain attraction or undermine the effort of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against banditry in the Kauru general area.’
“He then went ahead defending why the Nigeria military cannot protect us in a lengthy manner,” it a stated.
The statement further stressed that, “It is disheartening and utterly reprehensible to read the malicious and misleading reports by the self-acclaimed journalist from Southern Kaduna.
“He did not indicate, if he actually traveled to the communities said to be overrun by the bandits and discovered that they were still intact, contrary to the Vanguard report.
“He didn’t even say whether he spoke to a community leader from there who said that the story was a lie or ‘over exaggerated.’ So, where is the information before him to come up with such a strong rebuttal?
“How could the pains and sufferings of 14 communities be dismissed as ‘frivolous, utterly speculative and over exaggerated’ without a shred of convincing counter-evidence from the medium?”
They called on the Nigeria military to launch an investigation into their claims and come out with its findings, saying, “if that is what it will take to send help to us,” adding that, “The community will not be distracted or discouraged from pursuing the security, safety and well-being of our fatherland.”