Governor Theodore Orji of Imo State

By Charles Ajunwa, Victor Efeizomor and Wole Ayodele

Governors Theodore Orji of Imo State, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State  and Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State yesterday  said the death of Channels Television reporter, Mr. Eneche Akogwu, in the multiple explosions which rocked Kano last Friday, should spur journalists to brace up for the challenges of protecting democracy at all times.

In his reaction, Orji in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ugochukwu Emezue, said the death of Channels TV cameraman had again brought to the fore, the issue of insecurity in the northern region of the country occasioned by the activities of the Boko Haram.

“Journalists should not be deterred in any way, as Nigerians are praying for them daily for God's protection as they do their job,” he said.

Also, Uduaghan in a statement issued in Asaba, decried the manner in which the correspondent was killed in his prime.

According to Uduaghan: “It is sad and disheartening that a defenceless young man could be brutally murdered in cold blood while performing his official duties lawfully.”

He remarked that the killing of Akogwu and other victims of the violence in Kano as well as parts of the country underscored the need for Nigerians, irrespective of ethno-religious and political leanings to rally behind President Goodluck Jonathan to effectively tackle the security challenges facing the country.

On his part, Suntai condoled with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the death of Akogwu.

In a statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, Suntai urged journalists not to relent in standing by the truth, saying the death of Akogwu should spur reporters to brace up for the challenges of protecting democracy at all times.