The Kwara State Police Command has issued a stern warning to the media on over sensitisation of their news stories as such reportage is ” capable of inciting public disturbance and violence ”.
In a press statement released by its PPRO DSP Okansanmi, the Force categorically frowned at a report by the National Pilot Newspaper and caution against occurrence of such unprofessional reportage.
A part of the statement reads, ” It is very embarrassing and unacceptable when a Newspaper throws the ethics and practice of professional journalism into the winds with the ways unverified news are released for public consumption in order to score a political point thereby misinformating the public.
A case in point was a news item publlished by National Pilot on Monday 28/1/2019, where a front page report with a screaming headline of a “Kwara APC chieftain in police net over ritual murder of a 6 year old boy” and another online news media associated to the same newspaper carried another report that ‘Another APC chieftain arrested in Kwara by the police with 300 PVC’s.
The Command takes exception to these types of sensational and unverified reportage which is capable of inciting public disturbance and violence. The fact that some cases are under investigation where suspects are arrested is not a licence to associate such suspects as being members of one political party or another.
Reacting further, the Police Force reiterated their commitment to ensuring peace and orderliness in the state of harmony.
They however cautioned that no one should make their job harder through inciting comments and fake reportage.
” The Command will not hesitate to prosecute any reporter who by his news report jeopardises the effort of the Command in unravelling the author or authors of crime and by so doing creating a serious security challenge and breaching the peace and harmony the state is currently enjoying especially as we progress in our effort to ensure a free and fair elections come February and March 2019”.
Meanwhile, DSP Okansanmi in his statement, has urged the Media Practitioners to support and maintain good relationship with the Police Force so as to ensure a peaceful society.
” it is pertinent to mention that the Press and the Police are partners in ensuring safe and peaceful coexistence of our communities, such act that may bring friction between the two must be avoided. The command hereby urge and advice the media to always verify any news before going to the press for public consumption, please”. He said.