Mustapha Bina, a Niger-based journalist working with People’s Daily Newspaper, has run into trouble, following his report on an alleged bandit attack on the motorcade of Governor Umaru Bago during his project inspection tour to Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
Housingtv reports that the alleged incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday when the governor and his team were returning from the Egede community in Zone C after assessing projects executed under his administration.
According to the report, the attackers allegedly opened fire, prompting swift retaliation by the governor’s well-armed security team.
“Several bandits were neutralised, while others fled into the bush after being overpowered,” a source claimed in the report.
According to the report, some vehicles in the convoy, including a Hilux and a bulletproof vehicle of the Counter-Terrorism Unit, were reportedly damaged.
Housingtv gathered that after the report was aired on the Minna-based radio station, Prestige FM, where Mr Bina freelances, the operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, arrested and detained the reporter allegedly on the orders of the governor.
An insider source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said it took the intervention of the state NUJ chairman, Abu Nmodu, and other stakeholders who prevailed on the governor before the journalist was granted bail.
“Mr Bina was invited to the SSS office in Minna for questioning over the report aired on Prestige FM about the bandit attack on the governor’s convoy. The governor really felt embarrassed that the issue was out.
“He [Bina] was there for hours. It took severe pleas from the state NUJ and other stakeholders before the journalist was granted bail.
