By OKOSUN DENNIS
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Monday set up a committee to clampdown on the activities of fake journalists denting the image of the profession.
The NUJ chairman, Mr Deji Elumoye, said the committee became necessary in order to safeguard the integrity of the journalism profession.
National Daily authoritatively gathered that the committee, which has started its operation, is to tackle the problem with relentless vigour and would ensure that every fake journalist will be arrested and prosecuted.
“In Lagos, we observe that there are a lot of fake journalists and they are always found in public places like hotels and event centres.
“We also discover that they harass and molest top government functionaries and other members of society. We have had a lot of reports from members of the public, so we began our investigations and set up a seven-man committee to monitor and look at the issue of quackery in the metropolis.
According to him, the committee has since swung into action, and in 2016, they were able to make some arrests.
Elumoye said that two fake journalists that were arrested with fake identification cards at the Lagos Airport Hotel and Sheraton Hotel, both in Ikeja, have been going about as genuine journalist.
“These cases were reported to the NUJ leadership and we handed over the suspects to the police,” he said.
Expressing disappointment that the police released the suspects on bail without charging them to court, Elumoye said that the council was evolving a new strategy to tackle the menace in 2017 and the NUJ was going to seek the support the police at the highest level.
“ We want to engage the leadership of the state police command in Lagos to let them know our reservations of the past, maybe it was not to the knowledge of the Commissioner of Police.
He said any arrests made again, suspects will be taken straight to the police command where the body will ensure they are prosecuted.
Elumoye added that the NUJ would ensure that any journalist who had been sacked from their organisations is not allowed to parade themselves as credible journalists.