NUJ demands compensation for Xenophobia, kidnap victims

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, has called on the Federal Government to secure adequate compensation for Nigerian victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, as well as citizens affected by the country’s kidnapping crisis.
The demands were part of a comprehensive 14-point communiqué released on Saturday, following the Council’s monthly congress held at its Utako secretariat in Abuja.
The document, signed by the Council’s Secretary, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, alongside the drafting committee, highlighted urgent matters of national security, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
The Congress expressed deep concern over recurring xenophobic violence in South Africa, noting that displaced Nigerians continue to endure physical, emotional, and financial trauma despite previous government-led evacuations.
The NUJ urged the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic channels to force the South African government to compensate victims and facilitate the recovery of looted properties.
Closer to home, the union raised alarms over the persistent abduction of students, teachers, and ordinary citizens by bandits.
“There is an urgent need for the establishment of a comprehensive compensation policy catering directly to kidnap victims, their families, and the security personnel who risk their lives in rescue operations,” NUJ FCT Council communiqué stated.
The communiqué turned a sharp focus on the deteriorating social and security landscape of the Federal Capital Territory, citing two specific incidents involving its members on their way to the congress.
The NUJ strongly condemned the alleged rampant harassment of residents by individuals claiming to be government task force operatives.
“In one incident, men claiming to be enforcement officers intercepted a vehicle, forced a visibly sick passenger out onto the road, and drove the car away,” it added .
The union called on FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to investigate these illegal task forces and prosecute impersonators.
The union noted that the surging number of destitute persons and street beggars has become a security threat.
According to the union, a journalist was aggressively confronted and swarmed by a hostile group of beggars while attempting to take photographs near the ECOWAS Secretariat in Asokoro, only escaping safely when an official convoy passed by.
The NUJ urged the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS) to deploy sustainable rehabilitation programs.
On urban management, the journalists condemned the indiscriminate felling of mature trees across Abuja without any replacement strategy.
Labeling the practice as environmentally unsustainable in the era of severe climate change, the NUJ demanded that the FCT Department of Parks and Recreation, along with the Development Control Department, enforce strict regulations ensuring that every tree removed within the city is immediately replaced.
The NUJ concluded its congress by reassuring the public of its unwavering commitment to press freedom, environmental advocacy, national security, and the general welfare of all Nigerians.