2023 Elections: NUJ condemns Sokoto political thuggery

 The Sokoto State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has condemned the recent resurgence of political thugs at political campaigns and rallies in the state.

The NUJ made the condemnation in a statement jointly signed by the Council[‘s Chairman, Malam Dalhatu Safiyal-Magori and the Secretary, Malam Muhammad Nasir, and issued on Thursday in Sokoto.

The union expressed concern over the presence of various groups of thugs, threatening people with different types of weapons such as cutlasses, sticks, swords and knives, at the venues of political campaigns.

The union described the development as unfortunate, noting that these thugs who often took the law into their hands, were a serious threat to the safety of innocent citizens and their valuables.

“NUJ is passionately appealing to the political actors to take urgent steps to discourage the use of any kinds of weapons by youths during political campaigns or rallies in the interest of peace and the general wellbeing of their supporters.

“We enjoin politicians to completely submit matters of security to constituted security operatives, instead of using rampaging thugs as security covers.

“NUJ also urges the security agencies to remain steadfast to their constitutional responsibilities, in line with the recent warning by President Muhammadu Buhari on political thuggery and other crimes in the country,” the union said in the statement.

Supreme reports that on Tuesday after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential campaign rally in Sokoto, groups of thugs had gone on rampage attacking people.

There were reports of physical assaults and snatching of innocents’ valuables around Kangiwa stadium, Emir Yahaya road and environs.

Supreme also reports that Mr Adeniyi Olugbemi, a correspondent of the Leadership newspaper and Muhammad Nasir of NAN, both in Sokoto, were victims of those attacks.

It will be recalled that the Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, on Female Education Board, Hajia A’isha Maina, had died on Tuesday, following complications from suffocation after the PDP presidential campaign rally.