*Says ‘Sahara Reporters’ manner of accident report confirms “malice”
“The joyous and exaggerated manner with which the incident was reported without any recourse to the families of those involved or the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is a confirmation of the malice behind the contentious news report. Coming from a newspaper owned or operated by Southwest Christian journalists, such a malicious report could not have come as a surprise given the notoriety with which newspapers like Sahara Reporters practice journalism. However, to the glory of God, the health conditions of those involved in the accident is very stable as the three of them are responding to medical treatment very speedily.”
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has expressed its displeasure over sensationalized mischief that the Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper in the country, published last Sunday against the family of Leader of the Council and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.
It noted the act smacks of deliberate blackmailing of the leadership of the Ummah by online newspaper it claimed operated by Christian journalists in South West Nigeria.
Chairman, Media Committee of the NSCIA, Alhaji Femi Abass, ventilated the concern of the Ummah in a statement he issued on Thursday made available to journalists.
Sahara Reporters had reported in bad light the Sunday’s ghastly accident involving the eldest son of the Sultan, Amir Sa’ad Abubakar, and his two cousins saying Amir crashed the car “after being high on codeine”.
In the statement titled, “Re-Sultan’s Son’s Accident”, the NSCIA’s spokesman drew the attention of Nigerians of all backgrounds to the media report published and widely circulated online by the ‘Sahara Reporters’ noting it had become necessary to do so to put the record straight.
Alhaji Abass said: “Why it is true that the young man was involved in a road accident like any other Nigerian, the manner of reporting the incident by Sahara Reporters was not only malicious but also unprofessional. The story which was portrayed as a scoop evidently reflected a hidden agenda with tendency for conspiracy.”
He then put the media organisation to questions: “How did ‘Sahara Reporters’ know that the young man’s accident was influenced by codeine? How did it know that the young man was speeding beyond 200 kilometers per hour? Is it possible for any driver to drive at 200 kilometers per hour on the terrible roads we have in Nigeria today? Did ‘Sahara Reporters’ get a medical report showing traces of codeine consumption to substantiate its report?
“How did Sahara Reporters know that the only girl in the car was a girl friend to Sultan’s son? Was the reporter of the story equipped with a special speed reader that showed the speed at which the car was travelling before the accident occurred? And, on the day of that reported accident were there no other accidents on Nigerian roads?” He asked.
The former Deputy Chairman, Editorial Board of Vanguard Newspapers, went on and posited that, “The joyous and exaggerated manner with which the incident was reported without any recourse to the families of those involved or the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is a confirmation of the malice behind the contentious news report.
“Coming from a newspaper owned or operated by Southwest Christian journalists, such a malicious report could not have come as a surprise given the notoriety with which newspapers like Sahara Reporters practice journalism. However, to the glory of God, the health conditions of those involved in the accident is very stable as the three of them are responding to medical treatment very speedily.
“His Eminence’s family hereby shows deep rooted appreciation to all well wishers who either called or sent sympathy messages to concerned families praying the Almighty Allah to continue to protect them and their families in all circumstances of life.
“No one is beyond test in life. And when a person is facing a test, let no one aggravate it by mocking him/her. Human test is not limited to a place, time or person. It can come to anybody at any time and in any place.
“What matters most is for the tested person to pass such a test by overcoming any entailed agony or tribulation. Thank you all and God bless,” the council said in the statement signed by Femi Abass, who is Chairman Media Committee of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
