By Agency Reporter 3 hours 6 minutes ago
Soldiers guarding Jos, Plateau State detained and later threw out journalists working for a French television station trying to cover the ongoing unrest there, the reporters told The Associated Press.
The military stopped TF1 journalist Jeremie Drieu, a videographer and local journalist Ahmad Salkida as they tried to work Sunday in the city, where thousands have been killed in recent years in violence pitting Christians against Muslims.
When they attempted to ask for permission to film in an area of the city, soldiers there arrested the journalists and took them to a military command center, where they faced increasingly hostile interrogation, Drieu and Salkida said.
“They started reproaching us for not interviewing the governor,” Drieu told The AP on Monday. “They considered when you go to a place, you have to interview the governor.”
The soldiers also went through some of the material they filmed, the journalists said. Salkida said military commanders said he was “not patriotic” for helping the journalists work on stories dealing with the unrest.
After the interrogation, soldiers escorted the journalists to their hotel, where they were forced to pack and leave Jos and Plateau state as night fell, the reporters said.
“The official reason was security, which was absurd, because it is not safe to take the road at night,” Drieu said.
Drieu left Nigeria on Tuesday to return to France.
The military stopped TF1 journalist Jeremie Drieu, a videographer and local journalist Ahmad Salkida as they tried to work Sunday in the city, where thousands have been killed in recent years in violence pitting Christians against Muslims.
When they attempted to ask for permission to film in an area of the city, soldiers there arrested the journalists and took them to a military command center, where they faced increasingly hostile interrogation, Drieu and Salkida said.
“They started reproaching us for not interviewing the governor,” Drieu told The AP on Monday. “They considered when you go to a place, you have to interview the governor.”
The soldiers also went through some of the material they filmed, the journalists said. Salkida said military commanders said he was “not patriotic” for helping the journalists work on stories dealing with the unrest.
After the interrogation, soldiers escorted the journalists to their hotel, where they were forced to pack and leave Jos and Plateau state as night fell, the reporters said.
“The official reason was security, which was absurd, because it is not safe to take the road at night,” Drieu said.
Drieu left Nigeria on Tuesday to return to France.