TheCable

Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a non-governmental organisation, has asked the federal government and security agencies to investigate the death of Titus Badejo, a radio presenter with Naija 102.7FM, Ibadan, Oyo state.

Badejo was shot dead on Saturday by gunmen when he was leaving Club 407 in Oluyole area of Ibadan.

He was said to have worked as a freelance disc jockey at the club.

Reacting in a statement, the MRA, in a statement by Ayode Longe, its programme director, said the killing of journalists has become a culture in the country.

According to Longe, about 18 journalists and media workers have been killed since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power.

The group said no suspects have been arrested or prosecuted in relation to the deaths, a development it said has emboldened the culprits.

It called on the government to ensure that Badejo’s killers are arrested and brought to justice and to put an end to the killing of journalists and other media workers in the country.

“The killers of Badejo must be apprehended and prosecuted to put an end to the impunity in the killing of journalists, which is becoming a culture in Nigeria. We cannot accept as normal the fact that the Government is failing in its constitutional responsibility and international treaty obligation to ensure the safety and security of citizens, especially journalists,” the statement said.

“It is scandalous that there is no single instance where those responsible for killing journalists or other media workers have been identified, arrested and prosecuted. The situation evidences a degree of incompetence that is as tragic as the gruesome statistics of attacks on journalists that we are compelled to live with. Obviously, the killers of journalists have become emboldened into believing that they can suffer no consequences for their horrific crimes.”